ROI Major

English Language and Literature, General at SUNY College at Brockport

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 23.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a English Language and Literature, General degree from SUNY College at Brockport earn a median salary of $49,093 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $37,192. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.7 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

$35,139

Typical Career

$49,093

Top Performers

$61,204

Estimated break-even: 13.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$327

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,091. Most students can comfortably afford about a $327 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x 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, 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

$37,192

Nominal: $49,093 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).

13.7 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 $22,821 $31,212 $41,415
5 Years After Graduation $35,139 $49,093 $61,204
10 Years After Graduation $44,904 $57,736 $73,171

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 $49,093 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)
= $49,093 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $37,192 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in English Language and Literature from SUNY College at Brockport experience a steady earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $31,212, increasing to $49,093 five years post-graduation, and reaching $57,736 a decade later. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $37,191.67 nationally, reflecting the cost of living in New York, which has a COL index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.5%), Educational Services (22.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.7%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 13.7 years, indicating a longer return on investment. While the degree offers a pathway into diverse fields, potential students should weigh the financial implications against their career aspirations and the local job market.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the English Language and Literature, General 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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