Columbia-Greene ranked fifth best value college in the Northeast

HUDSON—When it comes to colleges that offer the best value, Columbia-Greene Community College has been ranked as the third best in New York State and number five in the entire Northeast.

The standings come from a recent assessment by Research.com, a higher education and degree discovery platform, and are based on average salary of recent graduates relative to tuition costs.

“The latest student loan statistics indicate the worrying trend of young people relying on student loans and grants to finance their studies, to the point where their accumulated debt has reached $1.76 trillion as of 2025,” explained Imed Bouchrika, PhD, co-founder and chief data scientist with Research.com.

“Fortunately,” Bouchrika added, “students who have yet to tread the college path still have the opportunity to improve their chances in the future by carefully choosing a college that will give them the best value for their money.”

The platform looked at 277 colleges and universities in the Northeast and placed Columbia-Greene Community College as the fifth best for overall value, behind only CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College, Community College of Philadelphia, Massachusetts Maritime Academy and CUNY Hunter College.

In New York State, Columbia-Greene Community College came in third with CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College in first place and CUNY Hunter College ranking second.

Annual tuition and fees at Columbia-Greene Community College are $6,354 and the median alumni salary is $39,373, according to Research.com. The Hudson college offers 40 different associate’s degrees and certificates.

“It’s no secret to any of us that Columbia-Greene presents an excellent foundation for our students to excel in whatever pathway they choose—whether that is career-oriented or as the first step in a fruitful academic journey,” said Dr. Victoria Walsh, president of Columbia-Greene Community College.

“We are immensely proud of not only our students, but our faculty and staff who are instrumental in us improving our rankings year-over-year,” added Walsh.

According to Research.com, Columbia-Greene also ranked as the 18th most affordable college in New York State and the 19th most affordable in the Northeast.