Two years in Brooklyn
then a four-year degree
You're deciding whether to start at CUNY Kingsborough Community College before transferring to finish a bachelor's degree. The decision turns on what the data actually shows: transfer rates, earnings afterward, and what this CC costs you out of pocket.
18,000+ undergrads, 27% transfer out by year 8, median $43k 10-yr earnings, $7,100 median debt.
A Brooklyn CC with a real transfer track record and low debt
CUNY Kingsborough Community College enrolls over 18,000 undergrads on a Brooklyn campus where nearly 70% attend part-time. Twenty-seven percent transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a rate that holds up against national community college benchmarks. Median earnings land at $43k ten years out, and median debt is a modest $7,100. Liberal Arts leads program volume at 450 completions, with Business Administration and Criminal Justice also operating at meaningful scale. In-state tuition is $4,800 and net price is $5,606. The 0% three-year loan default rate adds further confidence to the picture.
CUNY Kingsborough Community College sits in Brooklyn, New York, and enrolls just over 18,000 undergraduates — though nearly 70% attend part-time, which shapes how long the path to transfer typically runs. The college's highest-volume program is Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 450 completions, followed by Business Administration and Management at 173 and Criminal Justice at 132. Health-related fields also operate at real scale: Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician produced 113 completions and Registered Nursing 108. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 27%, a signal above the typical community college range. Median earnings ten years out are $43k, median debt is $7,100, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $4,800 with a net price of $5,606. For a Brooklyn student weighing two years here before finishing a bachelor's, the cost and transfer signal both point in a constructive direction.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 441 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 181 |
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. | 134 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 132 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician. | 111 |
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. | 67 |
| Teacher Assistant/Aide. | 66 |
| Commercial and Advertising Art. | 59 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 52 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. | 45 |
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 Kingsborough Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data is more encouraging than most community colleges can offer. Twenty-seven percent of Kingsborough students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a meaningful result given that nearly 70% of undergrads attend part-time, which naturally extends timelines. In-state tuition is $4,800 and the net price is $5,606, so you're unlikely to build serious debt here: median borrower debt is $7,100. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $43k, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. That combination of affordable cost, a real transfer rate, and a clean debt profile makes Kingsborough a functional starting point for a Brooklyn student with a clear plan to finish elsewhere.
- How does CUNY Kingsborough's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- Kingsborough's eight-year transfer-out rate is 27%. National research places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so Kingsborough sits at or slightly above that benchmark. The figure is measured over eight years, and given that nearly 70% of students attend part-time — stretching out timelines — the 27% reflects a genuine pattern of students completing the transfer step rather than stopping out. An additional 0.87% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 31% had completed a credential at Kingsborough itself. Taken together, the data suggests this CC is functioning as an active pipeline into the four-year system, not just an enrollment holding pattern.
- What programs does CUNY Kingsborough Community College offer at meaningful scale?
- Kingsborough's highest-volume programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (450), Business Administration and Management (173), and Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration (132). Health-related programs also operate at genuine scale: Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician produced 113 completions and Registered Nursing 108. Teacher Assistant/Aide added 78, Commercial and Advertising Art 56, and Biology/Biological Sciences 51. The range matters for transfer-focused students: whether you're aiming at a health-sciences path, a business degree, or a liberal arts foundation, Kingsborough has enough volume in those areas that course sections and advising infrastructure are 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.