ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College earn a median salary of $55,236 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $41,845. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.4 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$39,063

Typical Career

$55,236

Top Performers

$77,036

Estimated break-even: 9.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$368

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,603. Most students can comfortably afford about a $368 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.8%
Educational Services 9.9%
Retail Trade 7.5%

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

$41,845

Nominal: $55,236 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).

9.4 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 $26,376 $40,630 $60,691
5 Years After Graduation $39,063 $55,236 $77,036
10 Years After Graduation $49,449 $70,459 $95,255

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 $55,236 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)
= $55,236 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $41,845 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Business Administration and Management program at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $40,630, increasing to $55,236 after five years and reaching $70,459 a decade post-graduation. However, considering the cost of living in New York, which has a COL index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $41,845.45, indicating that while earnings grow, the relative purchasing power may be impacted by higher living costs.

The program prepares graduates for diverse career paths, with the top industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (31.8%), Educational Services (9.9%), and Retail Trade (7.5%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 9.4 years, suggesting that while the investment in education is significant, the long-term return on investment can be favorable. Overall, students should weigh the potential earnings against the cost of living and the time required to recoup their educational expenses.

Compare with Another School

See how the Business Administration and Management degree at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Business Administration and Management at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Apply to CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

Explore More

Other Degrees at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

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.