Head-to-head comparison
CUNY Kingsborough Community College vs Apex Technical School: which has better ROI?
Option A Brooklyn, NY
CUNY Kingsborough Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,606
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,621
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Long Island City, NY
Apex Technical School
- Net price / year
- $14,826
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,093
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but CUNY Kingsborough Community College comes closer — median earnings $42,621 against a $11,212 total, vs $41,093 at Apex Technical School. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | CUNY Kingsborough Community College | Apex Technical School |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,606 | $14,826 |
| Total net cost | $11,212 | $59,304 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,621 | $41,093 |
| Median debt | $7,100 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$125,992 | -$204,644 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, CUNY Kingsborough Community College or Apex Technical School?
CUNY Kingsborough Community College, at $5,606 a year after aid versus $14,826 — a gap of $9,220 a year, or $48,092 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 Kingsborough Community College or Apex Technical School graduates earn more?
CUNY Kingsborough Community College graduates report a median $42,621 ten years after entry, $1,528 more than the $41,093 at Apex Technical School. 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 Kingsborough Community College or Apex Technical School?
CUNY Kingsborough Community College: its completers carry a median $7,100 in federal loans versus $9,500 at Apex Technical School, a difference of $2,400. 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?
78% of students finish at Apex Technical School, against 28% at CUNY Kingsborough Community 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.