Admit rate has ranged 41%–51% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College is a powerhouse for ambitious, career-driven students who want a top-tier business education without the Ivy League price tag. Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, Baruch combines rigorous academics—particularly in finance and public affairs—with a scrappy, diverse student body that thrives on hustle. Its graduates routinely out-earn peers from far pricier schools, making it one of the best ROI plays in higher education.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Letters of recommendation
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
16,154
In-state tuition
$7,464
Out-of-state tuition
$15,414
Student Clubs
120+
Acceptance Rate
48%
First-Gen Students
37%
Most Popular Major
Finance
6-Year Graduation Rate
63%
Avg Early-Career Earnings
$83,000
Median Debt at Graduation
$6,000
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$75,971
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
25.0×
Median debt at graduation
$11,512
Graduation rate
72%
First-year retention
89%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
65%
Pell (lower-income) share
90%
First-generation share
51%
Endowment / student
$13,981
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Mathematics$61,064
Accounting and Related Services$50,105
Information Science/Studies$49,571
Finance and Financial Management Services$49,501
Economics$48,432
International Business$47,260
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
0.06
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
90
Summer high
83°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
54.4"
Annual snow
18.3"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
12.9%
Bottom → top quintile
47%
From bottom quintile
28%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at CUNY Bernard M Baruch College?
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College's acceptance rate is approximately 48% (New York, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for CUNY Bernard M Baruch College?
Admitted students at CUNY Bernard M Baruch College typically score 1100–1400 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does CUNY Bernard M Baruch College cost?
At CUNY Bernard M Baruch College, the average net price (after aid) is about $3,033 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend CUNY Bernard M Baruch College?
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College enrolls approximately 16,154 undergraduate students.
Where is CUNY Bernard M Baruch College located?
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College is located in New York, NY.
Admissions
Baruch is selective but not cutthroat, with an Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering around 48% ([7], [8], [11]). The school doesn't mess with the Common App—you apply directly through CUNY—and has been Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. since before it was cool ([6]). While there's no stated minimum GPA, insiders suggest aiming for at least a 2.5 to be competitive ([12]). Half of admitted students who submit SAT scores fall between 1170 and 1350 ([7]), but don't stress if your scores aren't stellar; Baruch cares more about your hustle than your test-taking skills.
Baruch's academic muscle flexes hardest in its Zicklin School of Business, which pumps out more finance majors (827 degrees annually) than almost any school in the country ([16]). But don't sleep on the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs or the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences—both offer surprisingly robust programs for a school known for number-crunchers ([13]). The curriculum leans practical, with a strong emphasis on internships and real-world applications. Classes can be large, especially intro lectures, but upper-level seminars get intimate fast. Pro tip: Baruch's location means professors often moonlight as Wall Street execs or UN advisors, bringing street cred to theory ([14], [15]).
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$46,820
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$45,852
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
This is a commuter school at heart—only 5% of students live on campus—but the Newman Vertical Campus buzzes until late with over 120 student clubs ([21]). The vibe is "work hard, network harder": finance clubs host trading competitions, the debate team regularly beats Ivies, and cultural organizations throw packed events celebrating Baruch's 110+ nationalities ([19], [20]). Don't expect rah-rah school spirit, but do expect to bond over shared grind—whether that's pulling all-nighters in the library or scoring free pizza at yet another resume workshop ([18]). The urban campus means NYC is your playground, but savvy students tap into Baruch's own surprisingly robust events calendar ([17]).
Here's where Baruch punches way above its weight: median early-career earnings hit $83,000—higher than many private colleges charging 5x the tuition ([23]). Within six years, 63% of students graduate ([25]), and those who do land jobs at Goldman Sachs, the NYC Mayor's Office, and other elite employers. The secret sauce? Baruch's 37% first-gen student population brings hunger, while its NYC location delivers unmatched access to internships and recruiters ([24]). Even more impressive: only 9% of students take out federal loans, yet graduates achieve a median 20-year salary of $136,700 ([26]). For ROI, this school is hard to beat.
Baruch's in-state tuition is a steal at $7,461 ([6]), and the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. drops to $3,033 after aid ([31]). The financial aid office runs a tight ship—you'll file FAFSA, get a Student Aid Index (SAI), and receive a package heavy on grants rather than loans ([29]). Over 65% of students come from households earning under $30,000 ([24]), yet the school manages to keep debt low: median borrowing is just $6,000 ([22]). Out-of-staters pay more ($15,411), but even that's a bargain for Manhattan. Use the CUNY financial aid estimator to game out your package ([28]).
Baruch is the ultimate meritocratic equalizer—a place where First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context. students and immigrants regularly out-earn Ivy grads. Its Wall Street pipeline rivals elite business schools, yet classrooms feel more like NYC itself: diverse, no-nonsense, and buzzing with ambition. The lack of dorms means you won't get the traditional college experience, but in exchange, you get real-world immersion in the global capital of finance, arts, and policy. For students who want prestige without pretension (and salaries without soul-crushing debt), Baruch delivers.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College logo · sourceCampus Map and Directions - Baruch College · sourceDirections - Enrollment Management · sourceCUNY Baruch - Cost, Acceptance Rate, Outcomes · source
