🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students. Affordable on average — net price runs around $2,984/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Strong academic profile (SAT 1210–1470 middle 50% + typically a 3.9+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$7,382 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Psychology or Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (the two biggest majors)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1210, or unweighted GPA below ~3.80 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
16,289
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$7,382
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$15,332
+$7,950 vs in-state
Admit rate
54.0%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%
1210–1470
EBRW + Math composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$63,163
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$50,414
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,163
4-year completion
57%
Median debt (completers)
$11,000
Cost of attendance
$13,905
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
56%

💰 True ROI

52.9× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$11,936
$2,984/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$43,684
vs sticker $55,620
10-yr earnings total
$631,630
$63,163/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.2 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At CUNY Hunter College, the average net price is $2,984/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$1,029/yr
Family income $30-48k
$1,935/yr
Family income $48-75k
$6,003/yr
Family income $75-110k
$8,810/yr
Family income $110k+
$12,259/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use CUNY Hunter College's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from CUNY Hunter College →

Opens on CUNY Hunter College's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at CUNY Hunter College

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what CUNY Hunter College actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Psychology
620 degrees · 29.9%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
2. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
456 degrees · 22.0%
Typical career outcomes
Project Manager $99k Management Analyst $99k Research Analyst $79k
Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.
3. Social Sciences
452 degrees · 21.8%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
4. Computer & Information Sciences
283 degrees · 13.7%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
5. Health Professions
262 degrees · 12.6%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at CUNY Hunter College

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 172 $103,692 $116,361
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions. Bachelor's Degree 33 $86,173 $104,791
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 276 $76,747 $102,321
Human Biology. Bachelor's Degree 442 $31,891 $83,420
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 43 $48,918 $80,308
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 85 $54,617 $75,803
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 73 $36,410 $73,857
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. Bachelor's Degree 37 $49,245 $72,919
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 43 $42,227 $70,273
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 144 $34,580 $69,920

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at CUNY Hunter College

CS degrees (annual)
293
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

CUNY Hunter College vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to CUNY Hunter College

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that CUNY Hunter College doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than CUNY Hunter College.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($6,416 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
State University of New York at Oswego
NY · Public
80% admit rate (vs 54% here)
SUNY at Fredonia
NY · Public
79% admit rate (vs 54% here)
SUNY Maritime College
NY · Public
78% admit rate (vs 54% here)
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
NY · Public
78% admit rate (vs 54% here)
SUNY College at Plattsburgh
NY · Public
75% admit rate (vs 54% here)

Building a college list?

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