Highest 20-Year ROI Colleges in New York
The biggest 20-year net financial gain over a high-school-only earner — tuition and debt already subtracted. Our tax-verified answer to the 20-year ROI question, from IRS-linked federal earnings rather than self-reported surveys.
Showing New York
Clear state| # | College | Type | 20-yr net gain | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helene Fuld College of Nursing New York, NY | Private | $1,178,519 | $113,640 | $47,181 | $15,250 | +253% | Strong return | |
| 2 | United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, NY | Public | $1,092,425 | $101,017 | $6,174 | $8,833 | +1,907% | Strong return | |
| 3 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | Private | $1,071,753 | $106,266 | $36,228 | $23,750 | +299% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Private | $1,021,158 | $102,051 | $28,690 | $14,000 | +376% | Strong return | |
| 5 | SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, NY | Public | $993,020 | $99,548 | $22,367 | $23,250 | +457% | Strong return | |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Private | $979,725 | $98,696 | $21,590 | $21,500 | +470% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Manhattan University Riverdale, NY | Private | $847,981 | $93,324 | $27,256 | $26,000 | +308% | Strong return | |
| 8 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Public | $792,793 | $85,456 | $3,033 | $11,512 | +2,378% | Strong return | |
| 9 | Clarkson University Potsdam, NY | Private | $790,745 | $91,072 | $30,305 | $26,000 | +253% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | Private | $748,578 | $89,898 | $34,906 | $26,778 | +201% | Strong return | |
| 11 | Hamilton College Clinton, NY | Private | $729,365 | $87,575 | $28,985 | $17,000 | +249% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Yeshiva University New York, NY | Private | $692,210 | $89,936 | $49,965 | $18,250 | +118% | Strong return | |
| 13 | Wagner College Staten Island, NY | Private | $643,946 | $83,301 | $28,241 | $25,000 | +214% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY | Public | $624,402 | $80,309 | $18,784 | $18,228 | +332% | Strong return | |
| 15 | New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, NY | Private | $599,265 | $79,877 | $22,443 | $23,334 | +255% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Pace University New York, NY | Private | $579,920 | $80,598 | $30,892 | $23,250 | +170% | Strong return | |
| 17 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica, NY | Public | $574,578 | $76,876 | $14,164 | $17,250 | +406% | Strong return | |
| 18 | St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens Rego Park, NY | For-profit | $574,114 | $76,806 | $26,315 | $25,730 | +413% | Strong return | |
| 19 | Touro University New York, NY | Private | $569,747 | $79,696 | $29,627 | $15,547 | +179% | Strong return | |
| 20 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY | Private | $564,815 | $79,479 | $29,278 | $21,000 | +176% | Strong return | |
| 21 | Molloy University Rockville Centre, NY | Private | $558,833 | $78,303 | $24,347 | $27,000 | +211% | Strong return | |
| 22 | Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Private | $557,750 | $78,918 | $28,786 | $15,000 | +181% | Strong return | |
| 23 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Public | $516,036 | $71,599 | $2,984 | $11,000 | +1,568% | Strong return | |
| 24 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Public | $504,687 | $71,208 | $3,776 | $11,990 | +1,246% | Strong return | |
| 25 | Fordham University Bronx, NY | Private | $503,013 | $79,461 | $44,338 | $24,300 | +85% | Strong return | |
| 26 | Iona University New Rochelle, NY | Private | $497,954 | $76,209 | $29,188 | $25,999 | +147% | Strong return | |
| 27 | Barnard College New York, NY | Private | $495,421 | $75,859 | $28,800 | $18,000 | +153% | Strong return | |
| 28 | New York University New York, NY | Private | $480,370 | $76,802 | $37,050 | $20,500 | +104% | Strong return | |
| 29 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY | Public | $477,018 | $73,512 | $21,620 | $18,500 | +206% | Strong return | |
| 30 | Roberts Wesleyan University Rochester, NY | Private | $468,925 | $73,505 | $23,130 | $23,750 | +182% | Strong return | |
| 31 | Union College Schenectady, NY | Private | $456,423 | $75,195 | $34,561 | $25,337 | +105% | Strong return | |
| 32 | Daemen University Amherst, NY | Private | $455,478 | $71,915 | $18,693 | $22,091 | +225% | Strong return | |
| 33 | Marist University Poughkeepsie, NY | Private | $451,994 | $76,364 | $41,544 | $25,000 | +79% | Strong return | |
| 34 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Public | $450,200 | $68,331 | $3,103 | $11,000 | +1,321% | Strong return | |
| 35 | Hofstra University Hempstead, NY | Private | $449,068 | $74,719 | $34,176 | $23,621 | +105% | Strong return | |
| 36 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY | Public | $443,415 | $68,548 | $5,579 | $14,350 | +755% | Strong return | |
| 37 | Trocaire College Buffalo, NY | Private | $434,008 | $70,392 | $16,636 | $20,000 | +244% | Strong return | |
| 38 | Siena University Loudonville, NY | Private | $431,089 | $73,785 | $33,733 | $26,561 | +99% | Strong return | |
| 39 | St. Francis College Brooklyn, NY | Private | $429,452 | $70,522 | $18,129 | $23,250 | +215% | Strong return | |
| 40 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Public | $425,127 | $67,283 | $4,195 | $10,298 | +985% | Strong return | |
| 41 | Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, NY | Private | $420,475 | $71,602 | $25,522 | $26,007 | +138% | Strong return | |
| 42 | St. John's University-New York Queens, NY | Private | $418,254 | $72,368 | $29,999 | $25,000 | +112% | Strong return | |
| 43 | Adelphi University Garden City, NY | Private | $397,718 | $71,498 | $30,783 | $25,000 | +100% | Strong return | |
| 44 | Long Island University Brookville, NY | Private | $386,380 | $71,361 | $33,062 | $23,577 | +87% | Strong return | |
| 45 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | Private | $382,513 | $72,358 | $38,793 | $26,000 | +66% | Break-even | |
| 46 | D'Youville University Buffalo, NY | Private | $381,078 | $68,596 | $20,433 | $25,000 | +160% | Strong return | |
| 47 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Public | $380,676 | $68,579 | $20,995 | $19,000 | +159% | Strong return | |
| 48 | Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY | Private | $376,891 | $68,719 | $22,277 | $23,000 | +143% | Strong return | |
| 49 | Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY | Private | $370,309 | $70,320 | $31,563 | $27,000 | +86% | Strong return | |
| 50 | Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, NY | Private | $351,736 | $65,759 | $14,072 | $19,637 | +227% | Strong return | |
| 51 | Keuka College Keuka Park, NY | Private | $342,449 | $67,482 | $24,338 | $27,000 | +110% | Strong return | |
| 52 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Public | $324,238 | $62,041 | $3,148 | $10,950 | +928% | Strong return | |
| 53 | Russell Sage College Troy, NY | Private | $323,535 | $66,161 | $22,917 | $22,000 | +112% | Strong return | |
| 54 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY | Public | $319,020 | $61,792 | $3,203 | $11,000 | +898% | Strong return | |
| 55 | SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY | Public | $317,790 | $64,887 | $18,211 | $19,500 | +149% | Strong return | |
| 56 | Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY | Public | $316,469 | $63,265 | $10,867 | $14,718 | +274% | Strong return | |
| 57 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | Private | $312,661 | $68,841 | $39,343 | $18,625 | +45% | Break-even | |
| 58 | SUNY Westchester Community College Valhalla, NY | Public | $291,844 | $60,719 | $9,373 | $10,400 | +598% | Strong return | |
| 59 | University at Albany Albany, NY | Public | $291,666 | $63,372 | $17,167 | $19,500 | +143% | Strong return | |
| 60 | St Lawrence University Canton, NY | Private | $286,537 | $65,549 | $28,651 | $27,000 | +65% | Break-even | |
| 61 | Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Flushing, NY | Private | $274,778 | $67,121 | $39,986 | $21,125 | +32% | Break-even | |
| 62 | Maria College of Albany Albany, NY | Private | $266,231 | $61,302 | $13,082 | $20,528 | +173% | Strong return | |
| 63 | St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, NY | Private | $265,203 | $62,468 | $19,035 | $22,000 | +108% | Strong return | |
| 64 | University of Mount Saint Vincent Bronx, NY | Private | $264,026 | $62,996 | $21,696 | $25,000 | +88% | Strong return | |
| 65 | St. John Fisher University Rochester, NY | Private | $261,908 | $64,308 | $28,945 | $23,250 | +55% | Break-even | |
| 66 | CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY | Public | $260,214 | $59,228 | $5,127 | $10,533 | +484% | Strong return | |
| 67 | Utica University Utica, NY | Private | $257,989 | $62,131 | $19,108 | $22,500 | +102% | Strong return | |
| 68 | Alfred University Alfred, NY | Private | $243,225 | $62,759 | $25,620 | $26,000 | +59% | Break-even | |
| 69 | St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY | Private | $230,790 | $60,961 | $19,994 | $23,198 | +81% | Strong return | |
| 70 | State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY | Public | $225,525 | $61,137 | $22,345 | $21,500 | +66% | Break-even | |
| 71 | Elmira College Elmira, NY | Private | $215,997 | $60,769 | $22,386 | $27,000 | +59% | Break-even | |
| 72 | LIM College New York, NY | For-profit | $212,266 | $63,784 | $38,667 | $24,000 | +15% | Break-even | |
| 73 | Columbia-Greene Community College Hudson, NY | Public | $200,649 | $55,907 | $6,559 | $12,000 | +524% | Strong return | |
| 74 | Manhattanville University Purchase, NY | Private | $199,466 | $59,627 | $20,991 | $25,000 | +57% | Break-even | |
| 75 | CUNY York College Jamaica, NY | Public | $197,048 | $55,944 | $4,456 | $11,000 | +401% | Strong return | |
| 76 | State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY | Public | $186,587 | $57,957 | $16,236 | $20,880 | +79% | Strong return | |
| 77 | State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY | Public | $174,631 | $57,835 | $18,809 | $18,750 | +56% | Break-even | |
| 78 | SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY | Public | $174,367 | $56,248 | $11,282 | $14,997 | +122% | Strong return | |
| 79 | Mohawk Valley Community College Utica, NY | Public | $164,238 | $54,311 | $8,987 | $11,000 | +324% | Strong return | |
| 80 | Canisius University Buffalo, NY | Private | $162,623 | $57,161 | $17,940 | $24,250 | +51% | Break-even | |
| 81 | Ithaca College Ithaca, NY | Private | $148,290 | $59,637 | $33,926 | $24,000 | +1% | Break-even | |
| 82 | Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY | Public | $145,658 | $52,959 | $5,258 | $8,250 | +489% | Strong return | |
| 83 | Niagara University Niagara University, NY | Private | $144,745 | $56,151 | $17,248 | $25,475 | +43% | Break-even | |
| 84 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY | Public | $139,812 | $55,808 | $17,156 | $21,196 | +42% | Break-even | |
| 85 | SUNY Morrisville Morrisville, NY | Public | $135,394 | $55,299 | $15,939 | $18,742 | +46% | Break-even | |
| 86 | SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY | Public | $129,968 | $55,691 | $19,158 | $19,812 | +28% | Break-even | |
| 87 | Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY | Public | $123,826 | $52,235 | $8,501 | $10,625 | +247% | Strong return | |
| 88 | Empire State University Saratoga Springs, NY | Public | $122,551 | $53,804 | $11,676 | $18,730 | +65% | Break-even | |
| 89 | CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY | Public | $121,844 | $52,436 | $5,718 | $10,988 | +177% | Strong return | |
| 90 | SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY | Public | $121,520 | $54,711 | $16,353 | $20,000 | +34% | Break-even | |
| 91 | Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | Private | $117,986 | $57,714 | $32,297 | $19,500 | -7% | Poor return | |
| 92 | Dominican University New York Orangeburg, NY | Private | $116,742 | $59,659 | $41,832 | $25,000 | -17% | Poor return | |
| 93 | Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY | Private | $110,769 | $61,544 | $52,659 | $26,000 | -25% | Poor return | |
| 94 | Hartwick College Oneonta, NY | Private | $109,961 | $57,254 | $31,320 | $27,000 | -9% | Poor return | |
| 95 | Nassau Community College Garden City, NY | Public | $108,744 | $51,338 | $7,095 | $10,500 | +252% | Strong return | |
| 96 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY | Public | $101,404 | $54,061 | $18,952 | $11,000 | +14% | Break-even | |
| 97 | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Alfred, NY | Public | $91,525 | $52,830 | $15,016 | $13,750 | +20% | Break-even | |
| 98 | Rockland Community College Suffern, NY | Public | $89,700 | $50,768 | $11,282 | $8,497 | +125% | Strong return | |
| 99 | Nazareth University Rochester, NY | Private | $89,204 | $55,806 | $29,357 | $26,038 | -15% | Poor return | |
| 100 | Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY | Public | $80,267 | $53,051 | $19,095 | $12,000 | 0% | Poor return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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