Cheapest History Colleges in New York

CUNY Hunter College delivers the state's most affordable History degree at just $2,446 net cost, while Queens College History graduates earn $38,289 annually - the highest among public options. The City University system dominates New York's budget-friendly History programs, with eight CUNY campuses offering net costs under $5,000. This concentration creates an unusual advantage for students seeking affordable liberal arts education in America's media and publishing capital. History majors find natural career paths in New York's museum sector, which employs over 20,000 people across institutions like the Metropolitan Museum and Brooklyn Museum. The earnings gap tells an important story - Queens College graduates out-earn many private school counterparts despite paying 75% less in tuition. SUNY schools fill the middle price range, with Buffalo State at $14,229 representing solid value upstate. Private options like Mercy University cost significantly more at $15,770 net price while delivering similar graduation rates to public alternatives.

Programs

$2,446 – $26,556

Net Price Range

$28,845

Avg. Program Earnings

59.3%

Avg. Graduation Rate

50 History 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 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, New York	$3,046	$7,470	55.5%	50.7%
5	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, New York	$3,482	$7,410	49.3%	55.3%
6	CUNY City College New York, New York	$3,486	$7,340	54.7%	66.6%
7	CUNY Queens College Queens, New York	$3,830	$7,538	60.2%	69.5%
8	CUNY York College Jamaica, New York	$4,734	$7,358	30.3%	59.1%
9	College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, New York	$5,115	$7,490	32.8%
10	SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, New York	$9,900	$8,379	46.6%	92.1%
11	Empire State University Saratoga Springs, New York	$11,147	$7,630	29.3%
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	St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, New York	$17,622	$34,535	64.2%	76.7%
20	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, New York	$18,021	$8,966	72.1%	74.9%
21	Daemen University Amherst, New York	$18,244	$33,724	58.4%	79.9%
22	Canisius University Buffalo, New York	$18,322	$32,720	70.7%	77.7%
23	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York	$18,430	$10,560	77.8%	49.1%
24	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, New York	$18,481	$8,524	68.9%	58.3%
25	University at Albany Albany, New York	$18,486	$10,408	63.9%	67.9%
26	Niagara University Niagara University, New York	$18,740	$38,135	70.2%	89.6%
27	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, New York	$18,833	$8,812	70.2%	72.5%
28	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, New York	$19,067	$8,953	61.6%	74.7%
29	D'Youville University Buffalo, New York	$19,585	$33,560	56.7%	84.0%
30	University of Mount Saint Vincent Bronx, New York	$19,920	$42,740	57.1%	88.9%
31	State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, New York	$19,951	$8,815	68.2%	59.8%
32	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, New York	$20,148	$69,045	95.0%	4.0%
33	University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York	$20,470	$10,782	73.4%	67.7%
34	Houghton University Houghton, New York	$21,148	$17,290	64.7%	77.0%
35	St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, New York	$21,344	$37,720	62.6%	88.6%
36	Binghamton University Vestal, New York	$21,364	$10,363	83.6%	41.8%
37	Le Moyne College Syracuse, New York	$21,547	$38,970	71.0%	78.3%
38	St. Francis College Brooklyn, New York	$21,614	$27,570	52.3%	84.3%
39	Utica University Utica, New York	$21,869	$24,308	55.5%	80.9%
40	Alfred University Alfred, New York	$22,701	$39,530	55.5%	50.6%
41	Wells College Aurora, New York	$22,921	$35,166	40.9%	87.7%
42	Russell Sage College Troy, New York	$23,027	$36,756	65.7%	73.6%
43	Roberts Wesleyan University Rochester, New York	$23,461	$37,504	63.9%	99.5%
44	Elmira College Elmira, New York	$23,735	$37,932	64.0%	96.0%
45	Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, New York	$23,736	$41,370	65.7%	88.3%
46	The College of Saint Rose Albany, New York	$23,819	$37,452	51.0%	78.0%
47	Long Island University Brookville, New York	$23,901	$41,642	55.4%	92.7%
48	Manhattanville College Purchase, New York	$25,842	$42,950	53.7%	84.1%
49	Dominican University New York Orangeburg, New York	$26,187	$33,060	56.8%	89.0%
50	Touro University New York, New York	$26,556	$21,810	65.0%	71.3%

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes CUNY Queens College stand out among affordable History programs?

Queens College History graduates earn $38,289 annually, the highest among public schools in New York, while paying just $3,830 in net costs. The school maintains a 60.20% graduation rate and accepts 69.48% of applicants. This combination of strong earnings outcomes and reasonable selectivity makes it an excellent value proposition for History students.

How much can students save by choosing CUNY over private schools?

CUNY schools average under $4,000 in net costs compared to Mercy University's $15,770 private tuition. Hunter College costs $13,324 less annually than Mercy while delivering similar graduation rates. Over four years, students save approximately $53,000 by choosing the most affordable CUNY option over private alternatives.

Is the graduation rate gap significant between cheapest and most expensive programs?

Baruch College achieves a 72.10% graduation rate at $2,978 net cost, outperforming several more expensive options. York College struggles with just 30.30% graduation rate despite low costs. The data shows that higher prices don't guarantee better completion rates in New York History programs.

Does location within New York affect career prospects for History graduates?

NYC-based programs like Hunter and Baruch provide direct access to major museums, archives, and media companies. Queens College graduates earn $38,289 compared to $26,585 at upstate Fredonia, reflecting the metropolitan job market advantage. The city's concentration of cultural institutions creates more internship and career opportunities for History majors.

Where do History majors find the best debt-to-earnings ratio?

Queens College offers the strongest financial return with $38,289 earnings against $12,500 in student debt. Hunter College graduates earn $26,458 while carrying just $13,000 in debt. These CUNY schools provide much better debt ratios than higher-cost SUNY options like Buffalo State, where debt reaches $20,160.

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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.