ROI Major

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at CUNY Hunter College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 05.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree from CUNY Hunter College earn a median salary of $59,702 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,229. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.5 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$41,179

Typical Career

$59,702

Top Performers

$75,795

Estimated break-even: 8.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$398

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,975. Most students can comfortably afford about a $398 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 28.2%
Educational Services 14.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$45,229

Nominal: $59,702 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

8.5 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $27,004 $42,518 $57,646
5 Years After Graduation $41,179 $59,702 $75,795
10 Years After Graduation $50,083 $72,585 $100,633

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $59,702 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $59,702 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $45,229 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies program at CUNY Hunter College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $42,518, which increases to $59,702 after five years and reaches $72,585 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $45,228.79 nationally, indicating that while graduates may face a higher cost of living in New York, their earnings still reflect a solid return on investment over time.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (28.2%), Educational Services (14.7%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.3%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 8.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the program offers a reasonable return on investment. Graduates can expect to find meaningful employment in sectors that are vital to community development and support, enhancing both their career prospects and societal impact.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree at CUNY Hunter College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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