For the second time in less than a month, the College of Staten Island has been recognized for the value it provides its students. Washington Monthly has listed CSI in the top 25 percent of its Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges 2025 list for the Northeast. The College is ranked number 60 out of 250.
Commenting on the listing, CSI President Timothy G. Lynch said, “This latest recognition from Washington Monthly underscores the exceptional value of a CSI education, speaking to the College’s affordability and access, as well as the academic and professional success that CSI delivers for our graduates.”
Washington Monthly used three criteria to create these rankings: Access, affordability, and outcomes.
Access looks at how well institutions provide access to non-wealthy students. According to the publication, “Among other metrics, it tracks how many students are on federal Pell Grants for low-to-middle-income families and compares that to how many Pell recipients those schools might be expected to enroll based on test scores, admission rates, and statewide family income.”
Colleges are also ranked by affordability by taking the net price of the institution (the amount that students with family incomes below $75K pay minus the financial aid they receive). This factor also considers the amount of student debt after graduation.
Finally, Washington Monthly ranks schools based on financial and academic outcomes that their students receive. “It compares graduation rates between wealthy and non-wealthy students. It also tracks the incomes that students make in their early careers and compares that to their peers’ early-career incomes. Additionally, the outcomes category ranks colleges by the numbers of graduates who go on to receive PhDs,” the publication said.
Joined a long list of recognition for value, the College of Staten Island was recognized in late August 2025 by Forbes for return on investment for the third year in a row.
By Terry Mares
