CUNY Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, New York · Public · 86.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 56/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
CUNY Medgar Evers College scores 56 (Below Average Value), an unusual profile where strong cost and earnings-premium fundamentals are dragged down by historically low completion. Median earnings 10 years out are $46,498, and the earnings premium versus a high school baseline is 50.3%. Net price is just $5,718, in-state tuition $7,352, and median debt of $10,988 yields a manageable 0.366 debt-to-earnings ratio. So why only a 56? The completion rate is 19.8%, and the three-year repayment rate is 54.0%. The 14.2-year payback period reflects modest absolute earnings ($30,000 at six years post-entry). The picture: students who finish at Medgar Evers actually do well by the cost-to-earnings ratio, especially in nursing, social work, and education tracks. The institutional-level ROI score is suppressed by the large fraction who don't finish on time and whose earnings then anchor the medians. For prepared, full-time students with a clear major, the underlying value is significantly better than the headline 56 suggests.
How CUNY Medgar Evers College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- 6-year graduation rate19.8% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
CUNY Medgar Evers College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,352/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $15,302/yr |
| Average net price | $5,718/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $22,872 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,498 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $10,988 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $116 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 19.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,233 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $7,352/year ($15,302/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $5,718/year, or roughly $22,872 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $4,368/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $14,006/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $10,988, which works out to about $116 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,000) and comes to 0.37, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $4,368 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $5,547 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $8,661 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $10,131 |
| $110,001+ | $14,006 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay only $4,368 net annually, genuinely affordable. With 56% Pell and a heavily lower-income student body, this bracket is the modal Medgar Evers family. The cash math is excellent on paper; the practical risk is non-completion driven by external pressures (work, family) rather than tuition cost.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $8,661, still well below the school's overall net price. Over four years that's roughly $35K out of pocket. For families in this bracket who can support a full-time student, Medgar Evers offers strong value - especially in the nursing, social work, and accounting tracks.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Top-bracket families ($110,001+) pay $14,006 net annually - higher than tuition, reflecting limited institutional aid at this income level. The math holds for those drawn to its Brooklyn-rooted mission.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at CUNY Medgar Evers College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $56,157 | B |
| Psychology | $56,458 | B+ |
| Social Work | $60,755 | B+ |
| Business Administration and Management | $53,503 | B+ |
| Public Administration | $53,849 | B |
| Special Education and Teaching | $66,377 | A |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $61,987 | B |
| Accounting | $61,799 | B |
| Information Science | $45,267 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $125,792 | A |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Biology
Biology is the largest program at 124 graduates per year. Median earnings of $39,810 first-year and $56,157 four-year are solid for a regional public, with $13,980 median debt yielding a 0.351 debt-to-earnings ratio (B grade). Career paths typically run through pre-health professional programs (nursing, PA, dental). The program is a defensible value play; students continuing to graduate or professional school see the strongest long-run outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology (87 graduates) earns a B+ ROI grade with $39,868 first-year and $56,458 four-year earnings. Median debt of $11,700 against a 0.293 debt-to-earnings ratio is one of the cleaner profiles on campus. As with most psychology programs, terminal bachelor's earnings are modest and the degree is most valuable as a pre-master's pipeline; Medgar Evers's New York labor market gives graduates better-than-typical placement options.
Social Work
Social Work (47 graduates) posts $44,311 first-year and $60,755 four-year earnings - strong for the field, reflecting NYC's deep social services labor market. Median debt of $15,096 yields a 0.341 ratio (B+ grade). This is one of Medgar Evers's strongest mission-aligned programs financially, especially for students continuing to MSW programs that unlock licensure and higher earnings.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration and Management (35 graduates) earns a B+ with $37,978 first-year and $53,503 four-year earnings against $12,444 median debt (0.328 ratio). A solid mainstream choice for students aiming at NYC corporate and public-sector roles.
Accounting
Accounting (13 graduates) earns a B grade with modest $33,205 first-year earnings climbing strongly to $61,799 at four years. Median debt of $12,200 yields a 0.367 ratio. Students who pursue CPA credentials in the New York market can substantially outpace these medians; this is a high-leverage track for students willing to push for the credential.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 42.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 54.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 47.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 45.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How CUNY Medgar Evers College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 86.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 410-500 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 440-520 |
| Enrollment | 3,233 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 56.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,999 |
Medgar Evers admits 86.1% of applicants, consistent with CUNY's broad-access mission. ACT scores aren't reported. The admit rate paired with a 19.8% completion rate is, in our view, the central issue. Medgar Evers serves a heavily working, part-time, first-generation Brooklyn population, and many students stop out for non-academic reasons. Selectivity here is not a meaningful predictor of finishing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Medgar Evers's completion rate is 19.8%.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Medgar Evers College (this school) | 56 | $5,718 | $46,498 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 92 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | 81 | $3,103 | $60,752 |
| Nevada State University | 58 | $14,068 | $53,166 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | 55 | $21,067 | $56,469 |
| Indiana University-Southeast | 52 | $7,888 | $47,596 |
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate is 56.3%, enrollment is 3,233, and the campus is in central Brooklyn - a predominantly first-generation, Caribbean-American, working-adult student body. Strong fits are students entering nursing, social work, public administration, or special education who can finish at a deliberate pace and leverage New York City public-sector and healthcare labor markets (where program-level earnings are excellent: nursing posts $115,779 first-year). The mismatch is part-time students juggling work and family without a clear path to finish - the financial cost is low, but credential-less stop-outs still face debt without the earnings boost.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for CUNY Medgar Evers College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $5,718 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $46,498 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 14.2 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: its 19.8% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 54.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $10,988 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
CUNY Medgar Evers College: Common Questions
Is CUNY Medgar Evers College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. CUNY Medgar Evers College scores 56/100 on our ROI scale. At $5,718 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $46,498 ten years after entry, so it takes about 14.2 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does CUNY Medgar Evers College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $5,718 a year, or roughly $22,872 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do CUNY Medgar Evers College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,498 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,698 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off CUNY Medgar Evers College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 14.2 years for CUNY Medgar Evers College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do CUNY Medgar Evers College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $10,988, against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at CUNY Medgar Evers College?
The six-year graduation rate is 19.8%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.