Higher Education Outcome Report · Northeast

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New York Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 281 degree-granting institutions graded

New York's higher education system is a above-average mobility and higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $57,716, +12% vs the national median.

finance
media & tech
healthcare

397
INSTITUTIONS: $57,716
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 12% vs natl; $19,132
AVG NET PRICE: 107 / 212
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

86/100 · #1 of 50

New York At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

281

755,590 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~106,946

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
88th pct

$55,388

6th of 50 states
Mobility Score
96th pct

3.2%

2nd of 46 states
Talent Retention
66th pct

76%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
80th pct

3.6x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Social Sciences
Healthcare

Executive Summary

New York graduates earn a median of $55,388 a decade after entry, 13% above the national state average, ranking 6th of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 3.2% rate, in the 96th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Social Sciences, which together account for 32% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Social Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $63,684, +23.5% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
On value, New York returns 3.6x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.
The state's strongest mobility engine is Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, which moves bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 16.4% rate, the highest in New York.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+20%

Median graduate earnings in New York are above the national average by 20%.
Cost vs National

+9.8%

Net price in New York is higher than the national average by 10%.
Mobility Rate

+1.41pp

Upward mobility rate is 1.4 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

+2.9pp

New York's graduation rate is 2.9 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

25x

Top value school: CUNY Bernard M Baruch College ($75,971 earnings vs $3,033 net price).
Top Mobility School

16.4%

Highest mobility rate: Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology at 16.4%.

Education Output Profile

Business (17% of graduates) and Social Sciences (15% of graduates) dominate New York's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $55,277.

Business

17%

$55,277 avg
Social Sciences

15%

$65,996 avg
Healthcare

14%

$61,767 avg
Humanities

10%

$49,055 avg
Technology

10%

$61,962 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 11

Outcome Performance

New York's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Transportation), where graduates average $64,192 against a net cost of $14,735, a 4.4x return. That's +24.5% vs the national median.

Transportation
4.4x

$64,192 earnings $14,735 net +24.5% vs natl
Construction Trades
4.1x

$45,057 earnings $11,048 net -12.6% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.0x

$45,651 earnings $11,272 net -11.5% vs natl
Precision Production
3.9x

$45,126 earnings $11,534 net -12.5% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
3.5x

$44,279 earnings $12,594 net -14.1% vs natl
Engineering
3.4x

$59,950 earnings $17,761 net +16.2% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on New York's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 17%
Health Professions 14%
Humanities 8%
Computer Science & IT 8%
Psychology 8%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $80,709
Social Sciences $69,273
Biology & Biomedical $67,874
Psychology $63,111
Health Professions $61,767

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun New York's graduate supply.

Engineering $80,709 4% of grads
Social Sciences $69,273 7% of grads
Biology & Biomedical $67,874 5% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

New York's colleges post an average mobility rate of 3.2%, which puts the state in the 96th percentile nationally. 13% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.53, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

3.2%

▲ +1.52pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

13%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

29%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

35%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

76%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.53

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

New York's Social Sciences programs produce graduates earning $63,684, +23.5% relative to the national median.

Business
17% of enrollment

$55,232 +7.1% vs natl

134 schools
Social Sciences
15% of enrollment

$63,684 +23.5% vs natl

87 schools
Healthcare
14% of enrollment

$56,594 +9.7% vs natl

124 schools
Humanities
10% of enrollment

$50,338 -2.4% vs natl

60 schools
Technology
10% of enrollment

$60,749 +17.8% vs natl

68 schools
Arts & Design
8% of enrollment

$57,251 +11% vs natl

58 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Social Sciences: +23.5% vs national earnings ($63,684)

Technology: +17.8% vs national earnings ($60,749)

Arts & Design: +11% vs national earnings ($57,251)

Institutional Landscape

New York's higher education system includes 13 research-oriented, 55 specialized, 68 access-oriented, 145 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

13

Research Universities
145

Regional Universities
68

Access-Oriented Institutions
55

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

47% of New York's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $46,497 at 10 years. At the premium end, 15 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $58,920.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

108

47% of schools
Avg earnings: $46,497
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

55

24% of schools
Avg earnings: $57,862
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

50

22% of schools
Avg earnings: $69,605
NET PRICE OVER $40K

15

7% of schools
Avg earnings: $58,920

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in New York

New York is home to 397 colleges and universities, from 107 public institutions to 212 private nonprofits. University at Buffalo anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $52,604 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around New York, Brooklyn and Rochester, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in New York

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $19,856 a year across New York. CUNY LaGuardia Community College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

New York's economy leans on finance, media & tech and healthcare, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the New York level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in New York earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$52,604

▲ +$8,767 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$19,856

▼ +$1,780 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.6x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is New York Right for You?

New York is a strong fit if you want to build a career in finance and media & tech, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · NY Helene Fuld College of Nursing · NY SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University · NY Center for Allied Health Education · NY Miami Ad School-New York · NY St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens · NY

FAQ

How many colleges are in New York?

There are 397 colleges and universities in New York in our dataset — 107 public, 212 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in New York?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences leads, followed by schools like Helene Fuld College of Nursing and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

How much does college cost in New York?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $19,856 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in New York?

New York's economy is anchored by finance, media & tech and healthcare, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in New York?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. CUNY LaGuardia Community College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 397 schools in New York

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

397 institutions in New York

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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