ROI Major

Mathematics at College of Staten Island/CUNY

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 27.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Mathematics degree from College of Staten Island/CUNY earn a median salary of $76,518 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,968. The degree typically pays for itself in 6 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

$58,858

Typical Career

$76,518

Top Performers

$103,697

Estimated break-even: 6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$510

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,377. Most students can comfortably afford about a $510 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x 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 24.5%
Educational Services 17.1%
Public Administration 12.6%

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

$57,968

Nominal: $76,518 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).

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 $27,453 $45,557 $65,194
5 Years After Graduation $58,858 $76,518 $103,697
10 Years After Graduation $67,746 $96,791 $122,331

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 $76,518 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)
= $76,518 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $57,968 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Mathematics degree from the College of Staten Island/CUNY can expect a promising earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $45,557, which increases significantly to $76,518 five years post-graduation and reaches $96,791 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to approximately $57,968.18 nationally, indicating that while the cost of living in New York is higher (COL index of 1.32), the long-term financial benefits remain substantial.

The top industries for Mathematics graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (24.5%), Educational Services (17.1%), and Public Administration (12.6%), reflecting a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately six years, suggesting that pursuing a degree in Mathematics can yield a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, the combination of competitive salaries and diverse career options makes this degree a viable choice for students.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Mathematics degree at College of Staten Island/CUNY 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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