ROI Major

Engineering Science at Nassau Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 14.13

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Engineering Science degree from Nassau Community College earn a median salary of $79,576 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $60,285. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.3 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

$53,696

Typical Career

$79,576

Top Performers

$92,887

Estimated break-even: 6.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$531

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,631. Most students can comfortably afford about a $531 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x 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, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 26.4%
Educational Services 10.4%
Retail Trade 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

$60,285

Nominal: $79,576 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).

6.3 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 $22,038 $35,452 $76,015
5 Years After Graduation $53,696 $79,576 $92,887
10 Years After Graduation $77,712 $102,295 $128,416

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 $79,576 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)
= $79,576 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $60,285 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 Engineering Science at Nassau Community College shows significant growth over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $35,452, which increases to $79,576 five years post-graduation and reaches $102,295 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $60,284.85 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits are substantial, particularly when considering inflation and cost of living adjustments.

Graduates primarily enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (26.4%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (25.4%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (19.8%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 6.3 years, suggesting that the investment in an Engineering Science degree can yield a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, the program appears to offer a solid career path with increasing earnings potential, particularly in industries that are projected to grow.

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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.