ROI Major

Anthropology at SUNY College at Brockport

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 45.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Anthropology degree from SUNY College at Brockport earn a median salary of $42,325 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $32,064. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.6 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

$31,792

Typical Career

$42,325

Top Performers

$55,868

Estimated break-even: 13.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$282

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,527. Most students can comfortably afford about a $282 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.5%
Educational Services 22.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 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

$32,064

Nominal: $42,325 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).

13.6 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 $22,977 $30,628 $40,849
5 Years After Graduation $31,792 $42,325 $55,868
10 Years After Graduation $48,487 $62,818 $93,589

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 $42,325 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)
= $42,325 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $32,064 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates with a degree in Anthropology from SUNY College at Brockport shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings are $30,628, which rises to $42,325 after five years and reaches $62,818 after ten years. However, when considering the cost of living in New York, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years post-graduation is approximately $32,064.39, indicating that while earnings increase, the relative purchasing power may be impacted by the higher cost of living in the state.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance (22.5%) and Educational Services (22.2%) sectors, along with Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.7%). The estimated break-even point for those pursuing this degree compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 13.6 years, suggesting that while the degree can lead to higher earnings over time, the initial investment may take over a decade to recoup. Overall, students should weigh the long-term benefits against the immediate financial implications of pursuing an Anthropology degree in New York.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Anthropology degree at SUNY College at Brockport 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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