2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in New York
[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 64 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools
Our analysis ranked Cuny Hunter College the best value for a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies in New York. Located in the city of New York, Cuny Hunter College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,382, compared with $15,332 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,698 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Cuny Hunter College generally make around $34,007. Set against $10,698 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 54%.
Students looking for strong value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies will find it at Cuny Brooklyn College, which ranked #2. Cuny Brooklyn College is a large public school located in the city of Brooklyn. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,452, with out-of-state students paying around $15,402. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $14,094. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Cuny Brooklyn College generally make around $32,083. That is a strong return on a $14,094 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cuny City College earned it the #3 place for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Cuny City College is a large public school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,340, compared with $15,290 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $20,532. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Cuny City College earn a median of $26,973 early in their careers. Set against $20,532 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,170, compared with $8,050 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $8,794 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College earn a median of $30,111 early in their careers. Set against $8,794 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Suny College At Brockport came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the town of Brockport, Suny College At Brockport is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,752, with out-of-state students paying around $15,822. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $26,672 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $39,724. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Albany earned the #6 position for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Suny At Albany is a very large public school located in the city of Albany. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,601, with out-of-state students paying around $30,991. Students borrow a median of $22,657 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $32,033. Set against $22,657 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
State University Of New York At New Paltz earned the #7 position for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Set in the town of New Paltz, State University Of New York At New Paltz is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,572, with out-of-state students paying around $18,822. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from State University Of New York At New Paltz generally make around $23,751. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia University In The City Of New York ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $22,135 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $42,190. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Cornell University placed #9 among the best values for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,314. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $17,625. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Cornell University earn a median of $43,831 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,625 median debt. Cornell University admits about 9% of applicants.
New York University came in at #10 for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,796. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $19,250. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from New York University generally make around $51,233. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
Vassar College earned the #11 position for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Vassar College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie. In-state tuition and fees average $71,030. Students borrow a median of $18,486 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $22,741. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 19% of applicants are accepted.
Barnard College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Barnard College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,888. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Barnard College generally make around $34,142. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
Syracuse University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. In-state tuition and fees average $65,528. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $22,903 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $18,854. That is a strong return on a $22,903 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Fordham University landed the #14 spot for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies value this year. Set in the city of Bronx, Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,470. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $26,884 in student loans. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Fordham University generally make around $40,811. That is a strong return on a $26,884 median debt. The acceptance rate is 59%.
The New School landed the #15 spot for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies value this year. Set in the city of New York, The New School is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,730. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $24,460 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $38,468. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The New School admits about 64% of applicants.
More Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings
View All Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 64 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
