Best College ROI in Ny 2026
187 colleges in Ny analyzed for return on investment. Vassar College leads with a ROI Score of 99/100 (STRONG BUY).
Ny has 187 colleges tracked in the Department of Education's College Scorecard, split between 40 public institutions and 147 private ones. Across the 187 schools with enough data to score, graduates of the top-paying major at each school carry a median federal debt of $25K and earn $75K in their first year out — the gap that determines whether a degree pays back.
94% of Ny colleges earn an A or B on the ROI Score, with the rest landing at C or below. First-year earnings top out at University of Rochester (median $95K on Computer Science). The lowest median debt comes from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology at $13K.
All numbers come from the latest College Scorecard release, which tracks outcomes for federal financial aid recipients only — graduates who paid cash or used private loans aren't in this dataset, so actual median debt at high-income schools may be lower than shown. The ROI Score weights debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium (25%), BLS job outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. national average (10%).
Top 3 Best ROI Colleges in Ny
Vassar College
Private · Verdict: STRONG BUY
Tops Ny's ROI rankings on its Mathematics program. Graduates earn a median $78K in their first year against $14K in median debt.
University of Rochester
Private · Verdict: STRONG BUY
Second-best ROI in the state, driven by Computer Science. Five-year median earnings: $147K.
Cornell University
Private · Verdict: STRONG BUY
Third on the ROI Score with Computer Science. Graduation rate 10000%, debt $17K.
Top 20 Colleges by ROI in Ny
| # | School | Best Major | Median Debt | 1yr Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vassar College(private) | Mathematics | $14K | $78K | A (99) |
| 2 | University of Rochester(private) | Computer Science | $14K | $95K | A (99) |
| 3 | Cornell University(private) | Computer Science | $17K | $95K | A (98) |
| 4 | Hamilton College(private) | Mathematics | $15K | $78K | A (98) |
| 5 | Colgate University(private) | Computer Science | $18K | $95K | A (97) |
| 6 | CUNY Medgar Evers College(public) | Information Science/Studies | $18K | $95K | A (97) |
| 7 | CUNY New York City College of Technology(public) | Computer Software and Media Applications | $19K | $95K | A (97) |
| 8 | Hobart William Smith Colleges(private) | Computer and Information Sciences | $18K | $95K | A (97) |
| 9 | The College of Westchester(private) | Computer and Information Sciences | $18K | $95K | A (97) |
| 10 | Canisius University(private) | Computer Science | $21K | $95K | A (96) |
| 11 | College of Staten Island CUNY(public) | Computer Science | $19K | $95K | A (96) |
| 12 | CUNY Brooklyn College(public) | Computer and Information Sciences | $21K | $95K | A (96) |
| 13 | CUNY City College(public) | Computer Science | $20K | $95K | A (96) |
| 14 | CUNY Hunter College(public) | Computer Science | $21K | $95K | A (96) |
| 15 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice(public) | Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | $20K | $95K | A (96) |
| 16 | CUNY Queens College(public) | Computer Science | $19K | $95K | A (96) |
| 17 | Farmingdale State College(public) | Computer Programming | $20K | $95K | A (96) |
| 18 | Five Towns College(private) | Computer Software and Media Applications | $22K | $95K | A (96) |
| 19 | Hofstra University(private) | Computer Science | $21K | $95K | A (96) |
| 20 | Marist College(private) | Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | $22K | $95K | A (96) |
College debt and earnings data for Ny is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which tracks outcomes for federal financial aid recipients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vassar College has the best ROI in Ny with a score of 99/100 (STRONG BUY). The top major is Mathematics, with $78K in first-year median earnings against $14K in median debt.
Across 187 Ny colleges with ROI data, graduates carry a median debt of about $25K on the best-paying major at each school. First-year median earnings on those same programs average $75K.
University of Rochester graduates earn the most one year out, with median first-year pay of $95K on its top major (Computer Science). After five years, those graduates earn a median of $147K.
Ny has 187 colleges in our database (40 public, 147 private). Of the 187 with reportable ROI, 94% earn an A or B grade.
The ROI Score (0-100) weighs debt-to-income ratio (35%), earnings premium over a high school graduate (25%), job market outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. national average (10%). Scores are graded A-F with verdicts from "Strong Buy" to "Avoid." Data comes from the College Scorecard and BLS occupational projections.
ROI Score: debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium (25%), job market outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), debt vs. national average (10%).