Colleges are expensive for many American families. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
According to the latest national education statistics, the average cost of tuition and fees for a year is over $30,000 for a four-year university in the US, but many families pay far less after federal and school-based financial aid, grants and scholarships.
Students and families looking for an institution that offers strong results for their graduates at affordable prices can find several schools in the Big Apple that meet that standard. According to the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 rankings released on September 29, 2026, seven of the 10 best value colleges in the US are part of the New York University Network.
The WSJ considered the average net price for the school (the cost that students pay after financial aid and scholarships) and the value that each school adds to the salary of its graduates. The latter figure is calculated as the difference between the median graduates’ median income and the median income of workers who only attended high schools in the state.
Baruch College in Manhattan will be the top spot for the third year in a row. The school has gained a reputation for affordable and high quality education that helps students from middle and low-income families excel in adulthood.
According to an analysis by the 2017 New York Times, nearly half of Baruch students (47%) came from families, the fifth percentile of the fifth earners of the national earners and moved to the fifth adult. The journal also ranked Baruch 7 in its Social Mobility rankings taking into account factors such as school pay impact and graduation rates.
According to the Wall Street Journal, here are the best value universities of 2026.
1. Bark College (cuny)
Average Net Price: $2,978Value Add to Graduation Salary: 49,499999999999999999
2. Hunter College (CUNY)
Average Net Price: $2,4466Value Add to Graduation Salary: $35,943 to Repay Net Price: 3 Months
3. Brooklyn College (CUNY)
Average Net Price: $2,943Value Add to Graduation Salary: $34,0377 to Repay Net Price: 4 Months
4. New York City College (CUNY)
Average Net Price: $3,4866Value Add to Graduation Salary: $37,007 to Repay Net Price: 4 Months
5. John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)
Average Net Price: $3,046Value Add to Graduation Salary: $29,721 Hours to Pay Back Net Price: 4 Months
6. Queen’s College (CUNY)
Average Net Price: $3,830Value Add to Graduation Salary: $35,468 to Repay Net Price: 5 Months
7. Lehman College (CUNY)
Average Net Price: $3,482Value Add to Graduation Salary: $29,9233 to Repay Net Price: 5 Months
8. Princeton University
Average Net Price: 10,5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
9. Stanford University
Average Net Price: $12,136Value Salary added to Graduation Salary: $94,725 to pay back the net price: 6 months
10. California State University, Los Angeles
Average Net Price: $4,113Value Add to Graduation Salary: $31,298 to Repay Net Price: 6 Months
Trade Prestige for Value
With the average net price just below $3,000 and an added value of nearly $50,000 on a graduate’s salary, average Barche graduates can pay attendance costs in about two months, the Journal reports.
This is becoming increasingly important to families who help students pay for college, higher education expert Jeff Seringo recently told CNBC Make. Schools like Stanford and Princeton also offer great value for students, but cost more steeply, with average net prices exceeding $10,000 per WSJ.
Historically, families have found it worth sending students to top ranked schools despite the cost. But these days, they “trade in fame with universities that cost half the cost,” says Seringo.
“They have money, but they don’t want to pay for a certain level of fame,” he adds. “They want to save that money for other things, including the kids after they graduate from college.”
Baruch and other top-value Cuny Schools aren’t that high on the Wall Street Journal overall rankings, but “location is important,” says Selingo. And the fact that these universities are in New York City – this is also a hot spot for well-paid jobs in various industries, but it can also give students a long-term career advantage.
However, living in New York for university may be expensive. Cuny Schools students are limited and are not normally guaranteed to students.
According to Rentcafe, those numbers may vary depending on your neighborhood, apartment size and number of roommates, but it could mean living in an off-campus apartment in Manhattan.
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