New York College ROI Rankings: Top SUNY and CUNY Schools vs. Private Universities

SUNY and CUNY schools lead New York in college ROI

SUNY Maritime College offers the highest 10-year return on investment in New York, with a projected return of $340,000, Newsday reported.

The nautical institution leads a group of state-run colleges that are outperforming many private universities in the state. These findings come from the 2025 rankings released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Researchers calculated these figures by estimating what students earn 10 years after enrolling and subtracting the typical cost of attendance. This cost includes tuition, fees, and living expenses, adjusted for federal grants and scholarships. For many public institutions, the data reflects in-state tuition rates.

Public colleges outperform private peers

Public universities in the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) systems are delivering stronger 10-year returns than the typical private college in the region. CUNY Baruch College sits at the top of the CUNY list with a $329,000 return. Because many students commute, the average annual cost at Baruch is just $657. The school maintains a 48% acceptance rate.

Farmingdale State College also shows high efficiency as a commuter-heavy school. It reports an average annual cost of $6,146 and a 63% acceptance rate, yielding a $274,000 return. Other high-performing institutions include the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, with a $453,000 return, and the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, which reaches $492,000.

Private vs public colleges what's the difference

Institution	Estimated 10-Year ROI	Average Annual Cost
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences	$492,000	Not specified
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy	$453,000	Not specified
Columbia University	$364,000	Not specified
SUNY Maritime	$340,000	$22,888
CUNY Baruch College	$329,000	$657
Farmingdale State College	$274,000	$6,146

While public schools often see higher initial returns due to lower upfront costs, some private institutions see massive gains in the long term.

For example, SUNY flagship campuses like Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo post higher median ROIs than New York University (NYU) at the 10-year mark, by roughly $44,000 and $9,000 respectively. However, NYU graduates eventually surpass both schools after 15 years, reflecting higher long-term earnings despite the higher cost of a private education.

The cost of creative pursuits

Arts colleges represent a different economic reality, frequently appearing at the bottom of the rankings with negative estimated returns. This means the earnings associated with these programs are less than the cost to attend them. The Manhattan School of Music recorded the lowest return at -$134,000.

Jeff Strohl, director of Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, noted that these figures do not account for the personal rewards of an arts education.

“There is a self-fulfillment aspect that isn’t, can’t be monetized,” Strohl said. “So the question that we need to ask is, to the art major, ‘Are you happy?'”

The School of Visual Arts reported a -$92,000 return, while The Juilliard School reported -$51,000. School president Christopher Cyphers argued that measuring an artist’s impact through income reinforces the idea that their work is unimportant. Juilliard noted that 40% of its students attend tuition-free and 95% receive financial aid, which helps limit student borrowing.

Jeff Breithaupt, vice president of the Manhattan School of Music, stated that careers in the performing and visual arts follow different trajectories than conventional professions. He noted that alumni hold Pulitzer Prizes, Emmys, Tonys, and Grammys—achievements that cannot be measured within the first decade after enrollment.

Choosing a path

The data highlights a divide between regionally oriented schools and those feeding the national labor market. Jeff Strohl observed that SUNY and CUNY colleges tend to be regional, with graduates staying in the same area, whereas other universities may feed into a national market where salary swings are greater.

Strohl suggested that students should not view the data as an absolute decider, but rather as a tool for narrowing down choices.

“A student needs to look at that information and use it to help guide them on tie breaks,” Strohl said.

The distinction between immediate debt reduction and long-term earning potential remains a central tension for students weighing public versus private options.