ROI Major

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at State University of New York Upstate Medical University

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.10

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree from State University of New York Upstate Medical University earn a median salary of $73,157 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,422. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.2 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

$63,237

Typical Career

$73,157

Top Performers

$86,764

Estimated break-even: 5.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$488

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,096. Most students can comfortably afford about a $488 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x 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 69.9%
Educational Services 9.5%
Public Administration 8.0%

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

$55,422

Nominal: $73,157 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).

5.2 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 $55,999 $63,332 $76,741
5 Years After Graduation $63,237 $73,157 $86,764
10 Years After Graduation $69,154 $83,137 $103,837

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 $73,157 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)
= $73,157 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $55,422 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions program at State University of New York Upstate Medical University experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $63,332, increasing to $73,157 five years post-graduation and reaching $83,137 after ten years. However, when considering the purchasing power-adjusted salary for the national equivalent after five years, the figure is approximately $55,421.97, reflecting the higher cost of living in New York, indicated by a cost-of-living index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (69.9%), with additional opportunities in Educational Services (9.5%) and Public Administration (8.0%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 5.2 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, the career prospects in these industries, combined with the earnings potential, indicate a solid ROI for students pursuing this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree at State University of New York Upstate Medical University 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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