ROI Major

Applied Mathematics at New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 27.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Applied Mathematics degree from New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York earn a median salary of $69,841 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,910. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.7 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

$42,033

Typical Career

$69,841

Top Performers

$104,864

Estimated break-even: 6.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$466

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,820. Most students can comfortably afford about a $466 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.4%
Educational Services 10.3%

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

$52,910

Nominal: $69,841 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).

6.7 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 $24,926 $44,849 $59,517
5 Years After Graduation $42,033 $69,841 $104,864
10 Years After Graduation $59,476 $93,589 $135,824

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 $69,841 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)
= $69,841 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $52,910 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Applied Mathematics from New York City College of Technology can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $44,849, which increases to $69,841 five years post-graduation and reaches $93,589 after ten years. 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 salary five years after graduation is approximately $52,909.85, indicating that while earnings grow, the cost of living significantly impacts purchasing power.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (24.2%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.4%), and Educational Services (10.3%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 6.7 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment over time. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest relative to living costs, the long-term financial benefits and diverse career opportunities in various sectors present a compelling case for pursuing this degree.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Applied Mathematics degree at New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York 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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