CUNY LaGuardia Community College
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Why CUNY LaGuardia Community College Matters
CUNY LaGuardia Community College is a public community college in Long Island City, NY and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 11,254
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Criminal Justice, Visual & Performing Arts
Why students choose CUNY LaGuardia Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $6,120 a year after grants and scholarships — 64% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $41,653 ten years after enrolling — 2% above the typical college, against $7,407 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 6.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 1% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.25 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With over 11,000 students, CUNY LaGuardia Community College is a vibrant hub for those looking to jumpstart their careers or explore new fields. This school is particularly well-suited for individuals interested in practical programs like Business & Marketing, Health Professions, and Computer Science. The diversity of its curriculum reflects the needs of a rapidly changing job market, making it a great choice for students who want hands-on training in their respective fields.
Graduates from LaGuardia can expect to earn an average of $41,653 within ten years of completing their studies. While the graduation rate sits at 25%, many students find value in the skills they gain, which can lead to upward mobility in their careers. The affordability of attending LaGuardia is also a plus, especially since many students receive Pell Grants, helping to ease the financial burden of education.
In terms of cost, the net price after aid is approximately $6,120, and the median debt for graduates is around $7,407. This manageable debt load makes LaGuardia an attractive option for those who want to pursue higher education without overwhelming financial pressure. Students who thrive here tend to be motivated and resourceful, ready to take advantage of the college's wide-ranging support services and community resources.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective CUNY LaGuardia Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into CUNY LaGuardia Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
CUNY LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, New York, enrolls students across a range of programs. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 25%.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend CUNY LaGuardia Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
When weighing the true cost of attending CUNY LaGuardia Community College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $8,098 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $6,120 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,269 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $7,407.
What Families Actually Pay
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is CUNY LaGuardia Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of CUNY LaGuardia Community College report median earnings of $41,653; prospective students should weigh that figure against the program's cost when calculating return on investment.
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
How CUNY Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is CUNY LaGuardia Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, CUNY LaGuardia Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,120/year ($24,480 total). Graduates earn $41,653 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,113,937 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,089,457 (45.5× your investment). The median debt is $7,407, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 25% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does CUNY LaGuardia Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
CUNY LaGuardia Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility: its mobility rate — the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top — is 6.06%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here: roughly 36.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a genuine foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $33,800, a useful read on the campus's socioeconomic mix.
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
Top Programs
The fields CUNY LaGuardia Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for CUNY LaGuardia Community College's most popular programs, with median pay and projected growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into CUNY LaGuardia Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements +
CUNY LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, New York, enrolls students across a range of programs. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 25%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend CUNY LaGuardia Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid +
When weighing the true cost of attending CUNY LaGuardia Community College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $8,098 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $6,120 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,269 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $7,407.
Is CUNY LaGuardia Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI +
Ten years out, alumni of CUNY LaGuardia Community College report median earnings of $41,653; prospective students should weigh that figure against the program's cost when calculating return on investment.
Does CUNY LaGuardia Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes +
CUNY LaGuardia Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility: its mobility rate — the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top — is 6.06%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here: roughly 36.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a genuine foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $33,800, a useful read on the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is CUNY LaGuardia Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks +
Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs high at CUNY LaGuardia Community College, with an economic connectedness score of 1.25 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds genuinely mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to CUNY LaGuardia Community College.
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is CUNY LaGuardia Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs high at CUNY LaGuardia Community College, with an economic connectedness score of 1.25 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds genuinely mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note