Tuition and Fees

Tuition information for doctoral and master's programs at the CUNY Graduate Center is provided below, along with a comprehensive table of non-tuition student fees and estimated expenses for students living and studying in New York City.

Your chosen program of study, residency status, and number of credits completed and/or enrolled will affect your tuition rate.

Doctoral tuition charges are based on a student's “level,” which is determined by a combination of the number of graduate credits completed (including, in the case of transfer students, credits accepted by the student's degree program and the Registrar) and specific academic accomplishments.

Level I: Students who have completed fewer than 45 credits of graduate work (including approved transfer credit) and/or have not passed the First Examination. At Level I only, students who are New York State residents and enrolled on a part time basis — fewer than seven credits and weighted instructional units (WIUs) — are billed on a per-credit basis. In addition, both full time and part time out-of-state and international students at Level I are billed at the per-credit rate for all credits/WIUs. For billing purposes, courses taken by Level I students on an audit basis will be treated the same as courses taken for credit and will be included in the assessment of tuition charges. (For more details, see “Auditing Courses” on page 53 of the student handbook.)

Level II: From the semester following the completion of 45 credits (fully earned and evaluated and including approved transfer credits) and passing of the First Examination to advancement to candidacy.

Level III: From the semester following advancement to candidacy. Level III students registering for non-90000 courses for credit will be charged additional tuition on a per-credit basis. Level III students do not incur additional charges for courses audited.

Ph.D. and D.M.A. Programs

(including non-matriculated students and auditors)

Level New York Residents
(rate per semester)
Out-of-State Residents and International Students
(rate per semester)
Level I, full time* (seven or more credits/WIUs) $4,965 $965 per credit/WIU
Level I, part time* $560 per credit/WIU $965 per credit/WIU
Level II, full time only $3,110 $6,910
Level III, full time only** $1,235

$2,450

Audiology (Au.D.)

Level New York Residents
(rate per semester)
Out-of-State Residents and International Students
(rate per semester)
Level I, full time* (seven or more credits/WIUs) $6,135 $1,190 per credit/WIU
Level I, part time* $695 per credit/WIU $1,190 per credit/WIU
Level II, full time only (Fall and Spring) $3,840 $8,550
Level II, part time (Summer only) $550 per credit/WIU $1,225

Student activities fee: Each student will be billed for a Graduate School student activities fee ($40.75), a University student senate fee ($1.45), a University consolidated services fee ($15) and a technology fee ($62.50 part time fee or $125 full time fee). These fees are not refundable.

*Level I doctoral students paying out-of-state tuition rates: Please note that there is no flat rate tuition charge. Such students pay at the per credit rate for all billable hours (this includes Weighted Instructional Units and audited courses). Level I doctoral students will be certified full time if they are registered for seven or more billable credits.

**Level III doctoral students: Registering for courses for credit (with the exception of 90000) will incur charges of $530 per credit for New York State residents and $905 per credit for nonresidents. No charges will be imposed for courses registered as audits.

Master’s students and students matriculated in Advanced Certificate Programs at the Graduate Center who are residents of New York State and registered for a minimum of 12 credits per semester will pay a flat fee for tuition. Out-of-state residents and students taking less than 12 credits will be charged on a per-credit basis.

Tuition rates also vary depending on the program and year of entry.

Students entering prior to Fall 2018 or in the following programs:

  • Biography and Memoir
  • Classics
  • Comparative Literature
  • Linguistics
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Women’s and Gender Studies
Credits New York Residents
(rate per semester)
Out-of-State Residents and International Students
(rate per semester)
12 or more credits* $5,545 $855 per credit
Fewer than 12 credits $470 per credit $855 per credit
Maintenance of matriculation $225 $370

Students entering after Fall 2018 or in the following programs:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • International Migration Studies
  • Liberal Studies
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Data Science
  • Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences
  • Data Analysis and Visualization
  • Digital Humanities
Credits New York Residents
(rate per semester)
Out-of-State Residents and International Students
(rate per semester)
12 or more credits* $5,545 + $100/credit
(excellence fee**)
$855 per credit + $100/credit
(excellence fee**)
Fewer than 12 credits $470 per credit + $100/credit
(excellence fee**)
$855 per credit + $100/credit
(excellence fee**)
Maintenance of matriculation $225 $370

Student activities fee: Each student will be billed for a Graduate School student activities fee ($40.75), University student senate fee ($1.45), a University consolidated services fee ($15), and a technology fee ($62.50 part time fee or $125 full time fee). These fees are not refundable.

*Master’s students paying out-of-state tuition rates: Please note that there is no flat rate tuition charge. Such students pay at the per credit rate for all billable hours (this includes Weighted Instructional Units and audited courses). Master’s students will be certified as full time if they are registered for nine or more billable credits.

**Academic excellence fee: Academic Excellence Fee applies for Fall and Spring terms only. This covers the additional resources needed to maintain and enhance certain master's programs, such as specialized academic and career advising, expert research support, library services, and networking opportunities. 

  Cost
Application fee (both doctoral and master's) $75
Readmission fee $20
Student activities fee $40.75
University student senate fee $1.45
Technology fee (per semester) $125 (full time)/$62.50 (part time)
University consolidated services fee (per semester) $15*
Late registration fee $25
Late payment fee $15
Change of course fee $18
Transcript record fee $7
Duplicate receipt fee $5
Duplicate ID card fee $10
Duplicate diploma fee $30
Returned check fee $20
Academic excellence fee - applicable to all students admitted fall 2018 or later in the following programs:
  • M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience
  • M.A. in International Migration Studies
  • M.A. in Liberal Studies
  • M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies
  • M.S. in Data Science
  • M.S. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences
  • M.S. in Data Analysis and Visualization
  • M.A. in Digital Humanities
$100/credit

*Billed to each student and nonrefundable, unless a student's registration is cancelled by The Graduate Center or the student withdraws before the first day of classes.

The costs of pursuing full time graduate study are not restricted to tuition and fee charges alone.

This sample budget, drawn from government data in accordance with both federal and University regulations, estimates expenses for students living both with parents and independently.

  Living with Parent Fall and Spring Living with Parent One Semester
Books $1,516 $758
Transportation $1,088 $544
Personal $2,048 $1,024
Housing $4,495 $2,247
Food 0 0
Lunch $1,566 $783
TOTAL $10,713 $5,356
  Living Away Fall and Spring Living Away One Semester
Books $1,516 $758
Transportation $1,088 $544
Personal $4,608 $2,304
Housing $16,128 $8,064
Food $3,788 $1,894
Lunch $1,566 $783
TOTAL $28,694 $14,347
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Fellowships and Financial Aid

Financing Your Education

Nearly all entering doctoral students in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences receive a five-year fellowship package. Every package includes tuition coverage, and many also include a stipend and health insurance. A wide range of fellowships, grants and scholarships are also available. Master’s students can typically cover the full cost of tuition by combining Federal Direct Loans with funds earned from Federal Work-Study.

Explore funding opportunities
Professor teaching

Paying Your Tuition

We offer a variety of payment options to meet your financial needs. Payments can be made directly via credit card, cash, check or money order, and payment plans are available via Nelnet.

View payment options and deadlines

Additional Information

New York State Residency Policy

For the purposes of determining tuition charges, a student is considered a resident of the state of New York if the student has their principal place of abode in the state of New York for a period of at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the semester with respect to which the residency determination is made; states an intention to live permanently and maintain a principal place of abode in New York state; and, generally, is not in the United States on any temporary visa. Residence in a dormitory, hotel, or other temporary housing facility does not in itself establish New York state residency.

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Previous Tuition Rates

Fellowships and financial aid funds are calculated against your entering year’s tuition rate. (Students who entered the Graduate Center in 2016 will continue to receive different funding awards than those who entered in 2019, for example.)

Please view the following PDFs for historical tuition rates. Note that tuition rates vary according to the student's residency, and whether the student is full time or part time.

For more information, please contact: