Physicsat CUNY City College
Graduates earn $48,908/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $535K; scenarios range from $500K to $541K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at CUNY City College
Graduates earn $48,908/yr, edging above the $46,482 national average for Physics — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
The 18.2x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 8% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Ranked #31 out of 75 programs, CUNY City College's Physics offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to CUNY City College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Physics
How CUNY City College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at CUNY City College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at CUNY City College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at CUNY City College
How does CUNY City College's Physics program score?
This program scores 55/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Physics graduates.
How vulnerable is Physics to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Physics careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
How affordable is Physics at CUNY City College after financial aid?
Sticker price is $29,360, but the average net cost is $13,944 — a 53% discount. For students who qualify for aid, this program is considerably more affordable than it appears.