Start your degree
in the heart of Manhattan
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in New York. That choice involves real numbers: transfer rates, earnings after graduation, and what it actually costs you out of pocket.
20,000+ undergrads, 30% transfer out by year 8, median $42k 10-yr earnings, $7,574 median debt.
A large Manhattan CC with a strong transfer-out track record
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College enrolls over 20,000 undergrads in Lower Manhattan and sends 30% of students to a four-year institution within eight years — above the national community college norm. Median earnings land at $42k ten years out, and median debt is a low $7,574. Liberal Arts, Business Administration, and Psychology are the top three programs by completions, giving transfer-bound students well-established paths. In-state tuition is $4,800 and net price is $4,976. The 0% three-year loan default rate is a strong signal.
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College sits in Lower Manhattan, New York, and enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduates — a large campus where 40% of students attend part-time. That part-time share matters: many students here are balancing work or family commitments alongside coursework, and completion timelines reflect that reality. The college's top program by volume is Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 475 completions, followed by Business Administration at 428 and Psychology at 264 — fields with direct transfer-prep applications. The eight-year transfer-out rate sits at 30%, a meaningful signal that BMCC functions as an active pipeline to four-year institutions. Median earnings ten years out are $42,306, median debt is $7,574, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $4,800 annually, with a net price of $4,976. For a cost-conscious New York student with transfer intentions, the numbers make a solid case.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 475 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 428 |
| Psychology, General. | 264 |
| Criminal Justice/Police Science. | 247 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | 165 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 147 |
| Computer Science. | 141 |
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. | 97 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy. | 90 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 85 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where New York transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data supports it more than most community colleges. Thirty percent of BMCC students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a solid result given that 40% of undergrads attend part-time. In-state tuition is $4,800 and the average net price is $4,976, so costs stay manageable; median borrower debt is just $7,574. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42,306, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. That combination of moderate cost, functional transfer rate, and clean debt profile makes BMCC a reasonable foundation for a bachelor's, provided you go in with a clear transfer plan.
- How does CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- BMCC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 30%. National research consistently places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so BMCC sits above that benchmark. The 30% figure is measured over eight years, and given that 40% of students attend part-time — which can extend timelines — it reflects a real pattern of students completing the transfer step. An additional 1% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 29% had completed a credential at BMCC itself. Taken together, these numbers suggest BMCC is functioning as an active feeder into the four-year system.
- What programs does CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College offer at meaningful scale?
- BMCC's highest-volume programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (475), Business Administration and Management (428), Psychology (264), Criminal Justice and Police Science (247), Health Sciences (165), Registered Nursing (147), and Computer Science (141). Accounting Technology produced 97 completions and Community Organization and Advocacy 90. The breadth matters: whether you're aiming at a STEM transfer path, a business degree, a health-related field, or criminal justice, BMCC has enough volume in those areas that advising resources, course sections, and completion infrastructure are genuinely developed — not thin offerings.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.