Long Island's largest CC
as a low-cost transfer starting point in New York
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Suffolk before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere. That decision turns on real numbers: the transfer-out rate, what you'll owe when you leave, and what earnings look like a decade out.
19,973 undergrads, 26% transfer out by year 8, median $49,907 10-yr earnings, $8,250 median debt.
A large Long Island CC with solid transfer momentum and one of the lowest net prices in New York
Suffolk County Community College enrolls nearly 20,000 undergraduates in Selden, NY, making it the largest community college in the SUNY system. Roughly 53% attend part-time. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 26% — a meaningful signal that students do reach the transfer step — and another 30% complete a credential at Suffolk itself. Net price is $5,258 and median borrower debt is $8,250 with a 0% three-year default rate. Median earnings ten years after enrollment sit at $49,907. General Studies dominates program volume at 950 completions, with Business, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Nursing all operating at meaningful scale.
Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college in the SUNY system, enrolling 19,973 undergraduates across its Selden-anchored campuses on Long Island. About 53% of students attend part-time, which extends completion timelines and shapes the outcome numbers. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 26% — a functional signal that students do reach the transfer step — and another 30% complete a credential at Suffolk itself. General Studies leads program volume at 950 completions, with Business Administration (302), Psychology (157), Criminal Justice (153), and Registered Nursing (150) all at meaningful scale. Net price is $5,258 annually, median borrower debt is $8,250, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $49,907. For a Long Island student weighing the transfer path, Suffolk pairs a genuinely low cost with a transfer rate that lands above the national CC midpoint.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| General Studies. | 950 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 302 |
| Psychology, General. | 157 |
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies. | 153 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 150 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other. | 101 |
| Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training. | 96 |
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. | 92 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 61 |
| Information Technology. | 52 |
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 Suffolk County Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The numbers support the case. Suffolk's eight-year transfer-out rate is 26%, which sits in the upper half of the typical community college range and reflects real transfer momentum. Net price is $5,258 annually — one of the lowest figures for any four- or two-year institution in New York — and median borrower debt is $8,250 with a 0% three-year loan default rate. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $49,907. Another 30% of students complete a credential at Suffolk itself, which tells you the academic infrastructure is functional, not just a turnstile. For a Long Island student aiming at a SUNY or CUNY four-year destination, Suffolk is a credible low-cost starting point, especially for those who can commit to a clear transfer plan and manage the timeline effects of a heavy part-time population.
- How does Suffolk County Community College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- Suffolk's eight-year transfer-out rate is 26%. National research places the typical community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so Suffolk sits at the upper edge of that band. Another 1.3% of students were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 30% had completed a credential at Suffolk itself. The 53% part-time attendance rate is a meaningful context factor: part-time students consistently transfer at lower rates nationally because life circumstances compete with academic momentum, which pulls the aggregate figure down. Taken together, the data suggests Suffolk functions as a working transfer pipeline for students who stay on track, with a combined transfer-plus-completion signal of roughly 56% by year eight.
- What programs does Suffolk County Community College teach at meaningful scale?
- Suffolk's top programs by completions are General Studies (950), Business Administration and Management (302), Psychology (157), Criminal Justice (153), and Registered Nursing (150). Further down the list: Liberal Arts and Sciences/General Studies, Other (101), Licensed Practical Nurse Training (96), Accounting Technology and Bookkeeping (92), Automotive Mechanics Technology (61), and Information Technology (52). The heavy General Studies volume is the signature of a community college built around transfer: students taking general-education credits intended to articulate into a bachelor's program. The Business, Psychology, and Criminal Justice volumes point to the most common transfer destinations for four-year study. The Nursing, LPN, Accounting, Auto, and IT programs cover workforce-directed paths for students aiming at credentials rather than transfer.
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.