Programs & majors brief

CUNY City College Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at CCNY?

The largest programs at CUNY City College span a wide earnings range, with the highest-earning fields awarding fewer degrees than the largest ones. Psychology awards the most degrees at 418 a year, and graduates earn a median of $56,223 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #48 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Computer Science is the third-largest program at 132 degrees awarded, and its median earnings of $116,238 are the highest among the large programs.

Mechanical Engineering graduates earn $97,270 from 119 degrees a year, and Azimuth ranks it #43 nationally. At the more moderate end, Fine and Studio Arts awards 116 degrees and posts median earnings of $45,656, with a national rank of #40.

Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

  • Psychology418 · 16.6%
  • Engineering404 · 16.1%
  • Social sciences332 · 13.2%
  • Biological sciences267 · 10.6%
  • Visual and performing arts213 · 8.5%
  • Other877 · 34.9%

39 of 39 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Computer Engineering 54 degrees awarded
$117,131
Computer Science 132 degrees awarded
$116,238
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 81 degrees awarded
$97,698
Mechanical Engineering 119 degrees awarded
$97,270
Biomedical/Medical Engineering 35 degrees awarded
$95,685
Chemical Engineering 32 degrees awarded
$88,659

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs
Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Computer Engineering54$117,131—
Computer Science132$116,238—
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering81$97,698—
Mechanical Engineering119$97,270#43
Biomedical/Medical Engineering35$95,685—
Chemical Engineering32$88,659—
Civil Engineering57$87,957#63
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering26$87,804—
Mathematics small degree count17$73,882—
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication small degree count7$72,068—
Communication and Media Studies86$69,948#26
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education34$68,614—
Economics108$67,679#111
Applied Mathematics36$66,754—
Business Administration, Management and Operations90$64,414#216
Biology, General227$63,206#67
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology35$62,440—
Political Science and Government84$59,540#136
International Relations and National Security Studies64$59,039#44
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities87$58,063#50
Psychology, General418$56,223#48
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods94$55,895#30
Sociology62$55,683#72
History40$52,809#101
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies36$48,637#48
English Language and Literature, General83$47,753#122
Film/Video and Photographic Arts small degree count19$46,801—
Fine and Studio Arts116$45,656#40
Music44$44,058#73
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics21$34,212—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft34$32,769#117
Natural Resources Conservation and Research small degree count7Too few graduates to report—
Architectural Sciences and Technology60Too few graduates to report—
Biotechnology small degree count5Too few graduates to report—
Philosophy small degree count9Too few graduates to report—
Physics small degree count16Too few graduates to report—
Chemistry small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count10Too few graduates to report—
Anthropology small degree count14Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at CCNY?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Psychology, General
418
Biology, General
227
Computer Science
132
Mechanical Engineering
119
Fine and Studio Arts
116
Economics
108
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
94
Business Administration, Management and Operations
90
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
87
Communication and Media Studies
86

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do CCNY majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Communication and Media Studies#26
  2. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods#30
  3. Fine and Studio Arts#40
  4. Mechanical Engineering#43
  5. International Relations and National Security Studies#44
  6. Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies#48
  7. Psychology, General#48
  8. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities#50
  9. Biology, General Included by program size#67
  10. Economics Included by program size#111

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

How Azimuth compares programs across colleges

Further analysis

A student's field of study shapes the return they see from CUNY City College more than any other choice. The university publishes earnings data for 31 programs, and 18 carry an Azimuth national rank.

The degree mix is broad, led by Psychology at 16.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Engineering at 16.1%, and Social Sciences at 13.2%. Psychology is the largest single program, with 418 degrees awarded, an Azimuth national rank of #48, and a median of $56,223 four years after completion.

Computer Engineering graduates report median earnings of $117,131 four years after completion, from 54 degrees awarded.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.