Cheapest Communication and Media Studies Colleges in New York

CUNY Hunter College delivers Communication and Media Studies education for just $2,446 net annually, making quality media training accessible in the heart of Manhattan. The City University of New York system dominates affordable options, with seven CUNY campuses offering net costs under $5,000 compared to private alternatives like Mercy University at $15,770. New York's massive media ecosystem includes major television networks, publishing houses, digital platforms, and advertising agencies that actively recruit communication graduates. Students at CUNY City College earn the highest median income at $39,663 within 10 years of graduation, nearly double the $17,950 earned by Mercy University graduates despite paying 85% less for their education. The 20 programs span from highly selective options like Baruch College with 49.53% acceptance to more accessible choices like SUNY Old Westbury accepting 92.10% of applicants.

Programs

$2,446 – $26,187

Net Price Range

$31,183

Avg. Program Earnings

57.4%

Avg. Graduation Rate

50 Communication and Media Studies Programs

Program rankings
#	School	Net Price	In-State Tuition	Graduation Rate	Acceptance Rate
1	CUNY Hunter College New York, New York	$2,446	$7,382	61.0%	47.9%
2	CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, New York	$2,943	$7,452	56.6%	54.5%
3	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, New York	$2,978	$7,464	72.1%	49.5%
4	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, New York	$3,482	$7,410	49.3%	55.3%
5	CUNY City College New York, New York	$3,486	$7,340	54.7%	66.6%
6	CUNY Queens College Queens, New York	$3,830	$7,538	60.2%	69.5%
7	CUNY York College Jamaica, New York	$4,734	$7,358	30.3%	59.1%
8	College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, New York	$5,115	$7,490	32.8%
9	Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, New York	$9,173	$8,576	57.1%	73.2%
10	SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, New York	$9,900	$8,379	46.6%	92.1%
11	SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica, New York	$13,882	$8,578	59.2%	81.7%
12	SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, New York	$14,229	$8,486	36.0%	86.0%
13	SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, New York	$14,295	$8,712	47.9%	82.7%
14	SUNY at Fredonia Fredonia, New York	$15,644	$8,771	53.5%	84.6%
15	Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, New York	$15,770	$22,106	48.1%	85.9%
16	SUNY Brockport Brockport, New York	$15,844	$8,678	56.6%	67.9%
17	SUNY College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, New York	$16,547	$8,881	58.8%	70.2%
18	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, New York	$17,231	$8,769	60.4%	82.6%
19	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Delhi, New York	$17,387	$8,710	48.0%	83.2%
20	St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, New York	$17,622	$34,535	64.2%	76.7%
21	SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill Cobleskill, New York	$17,980	$8,676	40.9%	84.0%
22	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, New York	$18,021	$8,966	72.1%	74.9%
23	Daemen University Amherst, New York	$18,244	$33,724	58.4%	79.9%
24	Canisius University Buffalo, New York	$18,322	$32,720	70.7%	77.7%
25	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York	$18,430	$10,560	77.8%	49.1%
26	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, New York	$18,481	$8,524	68.9%	58.3%
27	University at Albany Albany, New York	$18,486	$10,408	63.9%	67.9%
28	Niagara University Niagara University, New York	$18,740	$38,135	70.2%	89.6%
29	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, New York	$18,833	$8,812	70.2%	72.5%
30	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, New York	$19,067	$8,953	61.6%	74.7%
31	University of Mount Saint Vincent Bronx, New York	$19,920	$42,740	57.1%	88.9%
32	State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, New York	$19,951	$8,815	68.2%	59.8%
33	University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York	$20,470	$10,782	73.4%	67.7%
34	New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, New York	$20,709	$44,360	56.0%	75.7%
35	Five Towns College Dix Hills, New York	$20,799	$29,950	49.0%	58.3%
36	Houghton University Houghton, New York	$21,148	$17,290	64.7%	77.0%
37	St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, New York	$21,344	$37,720	62.6%	88.6%
38	Le Moyne College Syracuse, New York	$21,547	$38,970	71.0%	78.3%
39	St. Francis College Brooklyn, New York	$21,614	$27,570	52.3%	84.3%
40	Utica University Utica, New York	$21,869	$24,308	55.5%	80.9%
41	Hilbert College Hamburg, New York	$22,100	$32,150	47.0%	95.5%
42	Alfred University Alfred, New York	$22,701	$39,530	55.5%	50.6%
43	Roberts Wesleyan University Rochester, New York	$23,461	$37,504	63.9%	99.5%
44	Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, New York	$23,736	$41,370	65.7%	88.3%
45	The College of Saint Rose Albany, New York	$23,819	$37,452	51.0%	78.0%
46	Long Island University Brookville, New York	$23,901	$41,642	55.4%	92.7%
47	Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Paul Smiths, New York	$24,583	$32,049	53.3%	84.9%
48	Manhattanville College Purchase, New York	$25,842	$42,950	53.7%	84.1%
49	Keuka College Keuka Park, New York	$25,989	$38,000	48.8%	92.8%
50	Dominican University New York Orangeburg, New York	$26,187	$33,060	56.8%	89.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes CUNY schools so affordable for Communication and Media Studies?

CUNY institutions receive substantial state funding that keeps tuition low for New York residents. Hunter College charges just $7,382 in-state tuition, resulting in a net cost of only $2,446 after financial aid. The TAP grant program provides additional assistance to qualifying New York students. Seven CUNY campuses offer Communication and Media Studies with net costs under $5,000 annually.

How do graduation rates vary among the most affordable programs?

Baruch College leads with a 72.10% graduation rate despite charging only $2,978 net annually. Hunter College maintains a solid 61.00% graduation rate at the lowest cost point. However, some affordable options like York College show concerning 30.30% graduation rates. The College of Staten Island graduates just 32.80% of students within six years despite reasonable costs.

Is earning potential linked to program cost in New York?

Not necessarily, as CUNY City College graduates earn $39,663 annually while paying just $3,486 net cost. This exceeds earnings from expensive private programs like Mercy University where graduates average $17,950. Queens College and Brooklyn College graduates also earn over $34,000 annually. The data suggests affordable public programs often provide better return on investment than costly private alternatives.

Does location within New York affect program value?

Manhattan campuses like Hunter College and City College offer proximity to major media companies, advertising agencies, and broadcasting networks. Brooklyn College provides access to growing media production facilities in Brooklyn. Queens College serves the varied Queens market with substantial immigrant media outlets. However, upstate options like SUNY Potsdam cost $14,295 but still produce graduates earning $36,437 annually.

Where can students find the best debt-to-earnings ratio?

Baruch College graduates carry just $7,500 in median debt, the lowest among reporting schools. Hunter College students graduate with $10,875 debt while earning $33,993, creating manageable payment ratios. SUNY Buffalo State shows concerning trends with $21,031 debt but only $29,866 earnings. Private schools like Mercy University saddle graduates with $25,499 debt against much lower earning potential.

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Net price reflects the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students. See our methodology for details.