ROI Major

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations degree from CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College earn a median salary of $74,576 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,497. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.1 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$51,550

Typical Career

$74,576

Top Performers

$101,453

Estimated break-even: 6.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$497

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,215. Most students can comfortably afford about a $497 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x 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: Finance & Insurance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Finance & Insurance 23.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 21.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 7.8%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$56,497

Nominal: $74,576 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).

6.1 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 $32,624 $48,042 $70,999
5 Years After Graduation $51,550 $74,576 $101,453
10 Years After Graduation $65,371 $90,406 $128,817

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 $74,576 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)
= $74,576 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $56,497 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations program at CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $48,042, which increases to $74,576 after five years and reaches $90,406 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary is approximately $56,496.97, reflecting the higher cost of living in New York compared to the national average. This data indicates that while initial earnings may be modest, there is significant potential for salary growth over time.

The top industries for graduates reveal a strong alignment with sectors that offer robust employment opportunities. A notable 23.9% of graduates enter Finance & Insurance, followed by 21.6% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, and 7.8% in Health Care & Social Assistance. The estimated break-even point of approximately 6.1 years compared to a high-school-only path suggests a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the program appears to provide a solid foundation for career advancement in lucrative fields.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations degree at CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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