Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Finger Lakes Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Finger Lakes Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges earn a median salary of $38,149 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $28,901. The degree typically pays for itself in 22.7 years.
Quick Insights
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
$27,861
Typical Career
$38,149
Top Performers
$51,339
Estimated break-even: 22.7 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$254
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,179. Most students can comfortably afford about a $254 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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, Retail Trade, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$28,901
Nominal: $38,149 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).
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 | $19,260 | $25,908 | $34,251 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $27,861 | $38,149 | $51,339 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $36,206 | $50,905 | $67,464 |
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 $38,149 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)
= $38,149 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $28,901 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 29.1% of employment, followed closely by another segment within the same industry at 23.8%, and Retail Trade at 11.9%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 22.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree may be moderate. Students should weigh their career goals and industry interests against the financial implications of their educational choices.
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See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Finger Lakes Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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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.