ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at CUNY Bronx Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from CUNY Bronx Community College earn a median salary of $52,636 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $39,876. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.2 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

$38,202

Typical Career

$52,636

Top Performers

$67,042

Estimated break-even: 11.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$351

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,386. Most students can comfortably afford about a $351 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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 Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 35.6%
Educational Services 12.4%
Public Administration 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

$39,876

Nominal: $52,636 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).

11.2 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 $29,165 $39,394 $58,734
5 Years After Graduation $38,202 $52,636 $67,042
10 Years After Graduation $44,012 $60,342 $85,062

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 $52,636 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)
= $52,636 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $39,876 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at CUNY Bronx Community College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,394.00, which increases to $52,636.00 after five years and reaches $60,342.00 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $39,875.76, indicating that while earnings are competitive, the cost of living in New York may impact the overall financial benefits of the degree.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 35.6% of placements, followed by an additional 23.0% in the same sector, and Retail Trade at 17.3%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to individuals with only a high school diploma is approximately 11.2 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment. Overall, while the program offers a solid pathway into stable industries, prospective students should weigh the long-term financial benefits against the higher cost of living in New York.

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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.