ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Corning Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Corning Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges earn a median salary of $76,015 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,587. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$60,696

Typical Career

$76,015

Top Performers

$90,717

Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$507

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,335. Most students can comfortably afford about a $507 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 26.6%
Manufacturing 9.4%
Educational Services 9.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$57,587

Nominal: $76,015 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

4.6 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $59,815 $70,065 $85,110
5 Years After Graduation $60,696 $76,015 $90,717
10 Years After Graduation $67,523 $83,631 $101,849

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $76,015 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $76,015 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $57,587 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research from Corning Community College shows a steady increase over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $70,065, rising to $76,015 after five years and reaching $83,631 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $57,587.12, reflecting the higher cost of living in New York (COL index: 1.32). This indicates that while initial earnings appear robust, the purchasing power may be less favorable compared to national averages.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, which account for 26.6% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 19.1% and another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 12.1%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this educational path versus a high-school-only route is approximately 4.6 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those who complete their nursing education. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and diverse industry opportunities positions this career path as a viable option for students considering their future in nursing.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.