Hunter ranked one of the lowest value colleges, says TIME
But at least we made the list, right?
TIME Magazine recently ranked a list of 2,000 four year colleges well worth your money. Rankings were based on quality education, affordable tuition and post-grad success. Unsurprisingly, Hunter College fell far behind coming in at an unimpressive #408.
As one of eleven City Universities of New York, Hunter College is the largest of them all with a whopping 23,000 students. While that may not seem like a lot to some, consider that Hunter has only three main buildings which the majority of students share.
As of 2016-2017 academic year, tuition rates are approximately $21,500 annually without financial aid, and an estimated $15,800 with the average amount of financial aid. For qualifying low-income students, the average tuition is $6,303.
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Although a majority of students receive need-based aid, that’s not enough. At a graduation rate of 4.7 years, the average student debt is $10,500. The average salary is a grim $45,000 within five years. That’s a long time to continue making very little. This prevents students from being able to pay back their student loan debt quickly, as the reality of rent, bills and other expenses pile up.
To compare, the University of Michigan which is ranked #2 costs only a $1,000 more for students who receive financial aid, and $300 more for low-income students. Such stark differences in graduation rates, UM holding an impressive 91% and Hunter College with only 52%, place them at opposite ends of the spectrum.
While Hunter may not be a great value college based solely on education and tuition rates, it’s not all bad. A diverse student body and access to professional opportunities in one of the best cities in the world heavily contribute to our college experience. Ultimately, that’s what makes Hunter College such a unique school to attend.