For low-income graduate median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions
Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #61 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,140 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cuny Queens College in the 85.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #104 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- CUNY Queens College's composite ranking reflects a consistent pattern across earnings, mobility, and access — a public institution that delivers more than its price tag would suggest. Graduates earn above what similar students achieve at comparable institutions, and the college's mobility standing underscores how effectively it converts broad access into real economic progress for students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Azimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #61 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Queens, NY, Cuny Queens College enrolls roughly 12,550 undergraduates. Retention stands at 78.7% and the six-year graduation rate is 53.2%, figures that reflect steady degree completion for a commuter-heavy urban campus serving a broad cross-section of New York City families. The composite is shaped by what Cuny Queens College does for the students it enrolls. 47.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 46.9% are first-generation college students — shares that place the institution well above typical levels for access. Cuny Queens College sits in the 93.0 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, meaning low-income graduates convert that access into meaningful earnings gains at rates stronger than most peers achieve. The dominant program family is Social Sciences, and the institution's admission rate of 64.3% reflects a broad-access posture that keeps the door open for a wide range of applicants. Return on investment is the lower-ranked pillar in the composite — Azimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #368 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 75.2 percentile. Graduates earn about $10,140 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cuny Queens College in the 85.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 99.5 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and access registers in the 95.0 percentile — both pillars that anchor the composite more firmly than raw earnings alone would suggest.
Published cost of attendance is $14,367. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $1,541, middle-income families pay around $6,785, higher-income families pay approximately $12,700. Azimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #8 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 99.5 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $10,298; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $17,680. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $68,713, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $116 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
CUNY Queens College is a strong fit for students from New York City and the surrounding region who want an affordable urban public college with a broad social-sciences orientation and a track record of delivering earnings that exceed what similar students earn at comparable institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $68,713, placing Cuny Queens College in the 72.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and earn about $10,140 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cuny Queens College in the 85.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access profile is broad. 47.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 46.9% are first-generation college students — a profile that reflects Queens College's deep roots in serving immigrant families and cost-sensitive households across New York City. Cuny Queens College sits in the 72.4 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon — meaning low-income graduates have historically converted that access into meaningful long-run earnings. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program mix is concentrated in Social Sciences and related fields, so students whose interests align with those disciplines will find the strongest outcomes, while those seeking applied-professional or STEM-heavy programs may find the portfolio narrower than at larger research universities. Families managing costs should note that median student debt at graduation is $10,298, a figure that reflects the college's public-tuition structure and broad aid reach.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Cuny Queens College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Computer Science
311 graduates
Finance and Financial Management Services
78 graduates
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
25 graduates
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
104 graduates
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
139 graduates
Cuny Queens College's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, with meaningful enrollment across education, business, and psychology — a portfolio that reflects the institution's role as a broad-access public university in New York City. Social Sciences accounts for 21% of graduates, followed by Business at 13% and Education at 9%.
Across 38 programs serving roughly 3,563 students annually, 25 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Psychology, General is the program that combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a central driver of the institution's overall financial outcomes.
Psychology, General is the largest program with 691 graduates, followed by Economics (357 graduates) and Accounting (337 graduates). On the earnings side, Computer Science leads with median earnings of $112,903 four years after enrollment from a cohort of 311 graduates — Azimuth ranks the program #47 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Subject-Specific Teacher Education follows with median earnings of $76,925 from 139 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Accounting program graduates 337 students with median earnings of $69,956, and Azimuth ranks it #96 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Several of Cuny Queens College's strongest-earning programs — particularly Computer Science and Subject-Specific Teacher Education — are fields where graduates typically enter the workforce directly, and four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes. Programs like Psychology, General and Accounting, by contrast, include meaningful shares of graduates who continue to graduate or professional school, where four-year earnings undercount the full career trajectory.
The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with broader national wage and hiring trends, which is especially relevant for students choosing among Cuny Queens College's diverse program offerings. For details on [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), see the methodology overview. ```
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Published cost of attendance is $14,367. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $1,541, middle-income families pay around $6,785, higher-income families pay approximately $12,700.
Azimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #8 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 99.5 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $10,298; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $17,680.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $68,713, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $116 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Explore alternatives with comparable outcomes based on location, selectivity, and value:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Thomas Aquinas College Higher acceptance rate (13.7 percentage points higher) and located 22 miles away; similar graduate earnings | NY | 82% | $62,909 | Compare |
Dominican University New York Higher acceptance rate (10.3 percentage points higher) and located 23 miles away; similar graduate earnings | NY | 79% | $61,171 | Compare |
Rider University Higher acceptance rate (10.9 percentage points higher) and located 58 miles away; similar graduate earnings | NJ | 79% | $62,208 | Compare |
California State University-San Marcos Higher acceptance rate (27.2 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | CA | 96% | $62,908 | Compare |
Wheaton College Higher acceptance rate (21.5 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | IL | 90% | $63,756 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The University Of Texas At Dallas Similar quality tier (#4178 ranked) | TX | 65% | $68,227 | #4178 | Compare |
University Of Washington-Seattle Campus Similar quality tier (#4179 ranked) | WA | 39% | $78,466 | #4179 | Compare |
University Of Maryland-College Park Similar quality tier (#4176 ranked) | MD | 45% | $82,860 | #4176 | Compare |
University Of Nevada-Las Vegas Similar quality tier (#4180 ranked) | NV | 96% | $55,037 | #4180 | Compare |
Cuny New York City College Of Technology Similar quality tier in Northeast (#4174 ranked) | NY | 80% | $49,365 | #4174 | Compare |
Graduates of Cuny Queens College earn median 4-year earnings of $68,713, placing Cuny Queens College in the 72.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,140 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 85.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Cuny Queens College #368 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major.
Psychology, General reports 691 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $57,210, ranked #35 nationally in its major. Economics reports 357 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $65,049, ranked #104 nationally in its major.
Accounting and Related Services reports 337 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $69,956, ranked #93 nationally in its major. Computer Science reports 311 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $112,903, ranked #56 nationally in its major.
