bluthsbananas

I recommend that you look at the course outline and proposed schedule to finish. Also, be sure to ask current students how long it typically takes to finish. At one school that I was considering, the faculty said I could get out in 3.5 years since I came in with an MA. When I mentioned that to the actual students, they laughed because it's impossible to get out in earlier than 5 there. Students will be more honest. One other caution against takin too long to finish, this will harm you in grant applications and on the job market. My advisor has pulled me into reviewing grant applications with him and serve on an academic search committee - people that take too long to graduate signal that they'll be slow to publish once they're out. I know this is a lot of info and a hard decision to make. Good luck!

If all else is equal or approximately equal, I would recommend choosing a program that fully funds you for however long their program is supposed to (typically) take. I'm fortuante to have that deal where I am, and I cannot imagine the stress of trying to find my own funding for the next year or two. A PhD program will put so many demands on you already that trying to find money so you don't live in a box isn't one you need if it can be avoided. Sure, some people get full time jobs to cover living expenses, but that takes so much time away from research, publishing, teaching, and other professional responsibilities that you will need to have if you want to be competitive on the academic job market. If your goal isn't to stay in academia, then perhaps the funding will be less of a concern, but it is a serious thing to take into consideration. Good luck!

Having lived in two of those three cities, the cost of living isn't going to vary too much between them (especially if you live in Brooklyn or Queens in NYC). The real question is what do you want to do with an MA? That will help determine the best fit program for you. At the end of the day though, I don't think it is worth it to go broke getting an MA so cost should be an important consideration and John Jay seems to fit the bill for that unless your goal is to stop at an MA and get a job working for the government, where the connections in DC would be more beneficial. JJ has a good reputation and is much less expensive than the other two, but is disorganized and has large classes so you run the risk of just being a face in the crowd.