Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Queensborough Community College-CUNY
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Queensborough Community College-CUNY earn a median salary of $47,643 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,093. The degree typically pays for itself in 12 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
$32,583
Typical Career
$47,643
Top Performers
$66,142
Estimated break-even: 12 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$318
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,970. Most students can comfortably afford about a $318 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.2x 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, Finance & Insurance.
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
$36,093
Nominal: $47,643 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 | $21,519 | $30,913 | $45,229 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $32,583 | $47,643 | $66,142 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $46,540 | $65,609 | $90,822 |
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 $47,643 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)
= $47,643 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $36,093 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 28.3% and 27.2% of employment, followed by Educational Services at 9.3%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 12 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree may be considered moderate. While the degree offers a pathway into stable industries, prospective students should weigh the long-term financial implications against their career aspirations.
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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.