ROI Major

International Business at State University of New York at Plattsburgh

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.11

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a International Business degree from State University of New York at Plattsburgh earn a median salary of $71,605 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,246. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.1 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

$48,487

Typical Career

$71,605

Top Performers

$89,527

Estimated break-even: 7.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$477

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,967. Most students can comfortably afford about a $477 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, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.7%
Educational Services 15.6%
Public Administration 8.7%

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

$54,246

Nominal: $71,605 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).

7.1 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 $26,055 $39,517 $50,016
5 Years After Graduation $48,487 $71,605 $89,527
10 Years After Graduation $56,170 $75,444 $110,004

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 $71,605 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)
= $71,605 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $54,246 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the International Business program at State University of New York at Plattsburgh experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $39,517, which increases to $71,605 after five years and reaches $75,444 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $54,246.21 nationally, highlighting the importance of considering cost of living, especially given New York's higher cost of living index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (21.7%), Educational Services (15.6%), and Public Administration (8.7%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high school-only path is approximately 7.1 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term benefits in terms of earnings and career opportunities in these sectors can be significant. Overall, the ROI for this degree appears favorable, particularly for those entering high-demand fields.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the International Business degree at State University of New York at Plattsburgh 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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