Metropolitan College of New York
New York, New York · Private Nonprofit · 90.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Metropolitan College of New York scores 17 (Below Benchmark). Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) is a small private nonprofit in Manhattan, enrolling about 402 students. With sticker tuition of $20,188 but a reported net price of $28,882 - higher than sticker, reflecting institutional fees and charges - it occupies unusual cost territory. The overall ROI score is 17: the earnings premium above non-college workers is just 9.7%, the payback period is 22.7 years, and critically, only 21.2% of borrowers are making progress on principal repayment at the three-year mark. The 40% completion rate compounds the challenge. The school's programs - health administration, business administration, and community organization - score F grades, meaning debt-to-earnings ratios exceed 1.0 across all reported tracks. Prospective students should approach MCNY with full awareness of the financial risk embedded in its outcomes data.
How Metropolitan College of New York 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.
- ROI Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period22.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Metropolitan College of New York
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $20,188/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,188/yr |
| Average net price | $28,882/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $115,528 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,236 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,688 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $294 |
| Estimated payback period | 22.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 40.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 402 |
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: $20,188/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $28,882/year, or roughly $115,528 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 $28,752/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,688, which works out to about $294 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,900) and comes to 0.82, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $28,752 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $29,172 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Low-income students (under $30,000) pay $28,752 net - essentially the full net price, indicating that even with federal aid, MCNY's costs are not significantly reduced for its core constituency. Four-year investment approaches $115,000, a severe commitment against a 22.7-year payback period and a 21% repayment progress rate at three years.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income data ($48,001 - $110,000 income bands) is not reported in the Scorecard for MCNY - a data gap that limits analysis. The available data at lower income brackets suggests MCNY's aid structure provides minimal cost differentiation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income net price data is also not reported. MCNY's niche as an access institution means relatively few high-income students enroll. For those who do, the F-grade program ratios apply at any price.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Metropolitan College of New York with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $52,170 | F |
| Business Administration and Management | $36,644 | F |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | $55,162 | F |
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.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health Administration is MCNY's largest program (27 graduates) and its best-performing by ROI, though that is a low bar. Graduates earn $41,890 at one year and $52,170 at four, but median debt of $42,655 creates a 1.02 ratio - an F grade. The mismatch is stark: students borrow more than their annual first-year salary for a degree that takes over a year's income to cover. New York City's health administrative sector is vast, but the debt load significantly erodes lifetime returns.
Business Administration and Management
Business graduates (21 reported) earn $26,372 at one year and $36,644 at four years. Median debt of $39,500 and a 1.50 ratio (F grade) paint a severe picture. The four-year earnings ceiling of $36,644 against $39,500 in debt means many graduates spend their initial career years in negative ROI territory. Students considering MCNY business should aggressively seek employer tuition reimbursement to eliminate the debt component.
Community Organization and Advocacy
Community Organization has no reported graduate count but shows $22,329 at one year and $55,162 at four years. This program carries median debt of $44,500 and a 1.99 ratio (F grade). The program's four-year earnings trajectory is positive, suggesting a late-blooming earnings path for community advocacy careers. However, the debt load and slow start require income-driven repayment and public service loan forgiveness strategies for any financially viable outcome.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 14.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 21.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 20.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Metropolitan College of New York’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 | 90.0% |
| Enrollment | 402 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 65.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,154 |
MCNY admits 90% of applicants and does not report SAT or ACT score ranges, indicating a largely open-admission process. The focus is on non-traditional student readiness and motivation rather than standardized test performance. Prospective students should schedule campus visits and speak with current students about the action-learning model, which requires significant self-direction.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The college's three-year repayment rate is 21.2%. MCNY's distinction is its social mission and flexible delivery model for working adult students in New York City.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan College of New York (this school) | 17 | $28,882 | $46,236 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| Caribbean University-Ponce | 17 | $4,964 | $22,842 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
Who Thrives Here
The college's social mission emphasizes community advocacy and human services. Students who are self-directed, can manage work-school-life integration, and have a clear human services or health administration career path may find value in the curriculum. However, prospective students should see the 22.7-year average payback period and the 21% three-year repayment rate.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Metropolitan College of New York scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $28,882 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,236 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 22.7 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 40.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 21.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,688 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Metropolitan College of New York: Common Questions
Is Metropolitan College of New York worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Metropolitan College of New York scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $28,882 a year after aid against $46,236 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 22.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Metropolitan College of New York 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 $28,882 a year, or roughly $115,528 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 Metropolitan College of New York graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,236 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,436 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 Metropolitan College of New York?
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 22.7 years for Metropolitan College of New York. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Metropolitan College of New York graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,688, against average earnings of $33,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Metropolitan College of New York?
The six-year graduation rate is 40.0%. 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.