ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Ulster County Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Ulster County Community College earn a median salary of $46,663 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,351. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.1 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$34,560

Typical Career

$46,663

Top Performers

$66,382

Estimated break-even: 13.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$311

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,889. Most students can comfortably afford about a $311 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x 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, Retail Trade, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.7%
Retail Trade 10.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.1%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$35,351

Nominal: $46,663 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).

13.1 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 $22,366 $32,657 $46,093
5 Years After Graduation $34,560 $46,663 $66,382
10 Years After Graduation $46,207 $60,886 $85,400

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 $46,663 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)
= $46,663 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $35,351 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Business Administration and Management program at Ulster County Community College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $32,657, which rises to $46,663 after five years and reaches $60,886 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living in New York, which has a COL index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary for five years post-graduation is approximately $35,350.76, indicating that graduates may need to account for higher living expenses in their financial planning.

The program prepares students for careers in several key industries, with notable entry into Health Care & Social Assistance and Public Administration, each representing 27.7% of graduates, followed by Professional, Scientific & Technical Services at 15.1%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 13.1 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment. Overall, while the program offers a viable path to career advancement, prospective students should weigh the financial implications of living in New York against their expected earnings trajectory.

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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.