ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Hostos Community College of the City University of New York earn a median salary of $48,780 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,955. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.6 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

$34,473

Typical Career

$48,780

Top Performers

$65,167

Estimated break-even: 11.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$325

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,065. Most students can comfortably afford about a $325 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 43.4%
Educational Services 10.8%
Public Administration 8.3%

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

$36,955

Nominal: $48,780 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).

11.6 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 $23,771 $34,749 $48,104
5 Years After Graduation $34,473 $48,780 $65,167
10 Years After Graduation $49,223 $65,011 $82,614

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 $48,780 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)
= $48,780 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $36,955 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 of Accounting and Related Services at Hostos Community College shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $34,749.00, which rises to $48,780.00 after five years and reaches $65,011.00 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $36,954.55, indicating that graduates may face higher living costs in New York, given the cost of living index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 58.6% of employment, followed by Educational Services at 10.8%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 11.6 years, suggesting a significant return on investment over time. Overall, while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits and job opportunities in stable industries present a favorable outlook for students pursuing this path.

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See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York 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.