Head-to-head comparison
CUNY Brooklyn College vs Pratt Institute-Main: which has better ROI?
Option A Brooklyn, NY
CUNY Brooklyn College
- Net price / year
- $3,103
- Earnings, 10 years
- $60,752
- Payback
- 1 yrs
Option B Brooklyn, NY
Pratt Institute-Main
- Net price / year
- $52,659
- Earnings, 10 years
- $54,295
- Payback
- 35.5 yrs
CUNY Brooklyn College has the better ROI: it clears its 4-year net cost of $12,412 in 1 years versus 35.5 years at Pratt Institute-Main, on median earnings of $60,752 vs $54,295 ten years out. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | CUNY Brooklyn College | Pratt Institute-Main |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $3,103 | $52,659 |
| Total net cost | $12,412 | $210,636 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $60,752 | $54,295 |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $26,000 |
| Payback | 1 yrs | 35.5 yrs |
| 20-year net return | $235,428 | -$91,936 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, CUNY Brooklyn College or Pratt Institute-Main?
CUNY Brooklyn College, at $3,103 a year after aid versus $52,659 — a gap of $49,556 a year, or $198,224 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do CUNY Brooklyn College or Pratt Institute-Main graduates earn more?
CUNY Brooklyn College graduates report a median $60,752 ten years after entry, $6,457 more than the $54,295 at Pratt Institute-Main. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, CUNY Brooklyn College or Pratt Institute-Main?
CUNY Brooklyn College: its completers carry a median $11,000 in federal loans versus $26,000 at Pratt Institute-Main, a difference of $15,000. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
74% of students finish at Pratt Institute-Main, against 54% at CUNY Brooklyn College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.