ROI Major

Criminal Justice and Corrections at State University of New York at Oneonta

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 43.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree from State University of New York at Oneonta earn a median salary of $63,576 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $48,164. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.2 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$48,048

Typical Career

$63,576

Top Performers

$83,230

Estimated break-even: 8.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$424

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,298. Most students can comfortably afford about a $424 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 23.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.3%

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

$48,164

Nominal: $63,576 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).

8.2 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 $26,583 $34,763 $48,299
5 Years After Graduation $48,048 $63,576 $83,230
10 Years After Graduation $61,419 $79,901 $103,090

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 $63,576 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)
= $63,576 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $48,164 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Criminal Justice and Corrections program at State University of New York at Oneonta experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, the median earnings stand at $34,763.00, which increases to $63,576.00 after five years and reaches $79,901.00 a decade later. However, considering the cost of living in New York, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years after graduation is approximately $48,163.64, indicating that while earnings grow, the local cost of living may impact overall financial well-being.

The program's graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Educational Services (23.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.3%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree is moderate. Students should weigh the potential earnings against the cost of living in New York to assess the overall financial viability of pursuing a career in criminal justice and corrections.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Criminal Justice and Corrections degree at State University of New York at Oneonta 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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