ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at CUNY Brooklyn College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from CUNY Brooklyn College earn a median salary of $74,446 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,398. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.9 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

$53,012

Typical Career

$74,446

Top Performers

$97,321

Estimated break-even: 5.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$496

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,204. Most students can comfortably afford about a $496 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x 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 21.5%
Educational Services 17.3%
Public Administration 11.0%

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

$56,398

Nominal: $74,446 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).

5.9 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 $35,902 $51,701 $69,106
5 Years After Graduation $53,012 $74,446 $97,321
10 Years After Graduation $63,820 $92,615 $125,260

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 $74,446 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)
= $74,446 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $56,398 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from CUNY Brooklyn College's Accounting and Related Services program experience a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $51,701 one year after graduation, increasing to $74,446 after five years, and reaching $92,615 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $56,398.48 nationally, reflecting the impact of the cost of living in New York, where the cost of living index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The program prepares graduates for diverse career opportunities, with notable entry into sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (21.5%), Educational Services (17.3%), and Public Administration (11.0%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 5.9 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this educational path. Overall, the data indicates a favorable long-term financial outlook for graduates in this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at CUNY Brooklyn College 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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