ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at CUNY York College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from CUNY York College earn a median salary of $124,732 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $94,494. The degree typically pays for itself in 2.1 years.

Quick Insights

Financial Home Run

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

$103,390

Typical Career

$124,732

Top Performers

$147,743

Estimated to break even in under 3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$832

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $10,394. Most students can comfortably afford about a $832 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 3.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.6x 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, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 36.8%
Educational Services 13.8%
Public Administration 10.2%

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

$94,494

Nominal: $124,732 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).

2.1 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 $78,011 $110,867 $138,572
5 Years After Graduation $103,390 $124,732 $147,743
10 Years After Graduation $117,486 $141,872 $166,041

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 $124,732 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)
= $124,732 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $94,494 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research from CUNY York College shows a promising increase over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $110,867.00, rising to $124,732.00 after five years, and reaching $141,872.00 after ten years. However, when considering 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 purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $94,493.94, indicating that while nominal earnings are high, the real value may be affected by living expenses.

Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (36.8%), followed by Educational Services (13.8%) and Public Administration (10.2%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 2.1 years, suggesting a relatively swift return on investment. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and diverse employment opportunities in stable industries presents a favorable outlook for students considering this career path.

Compare with Another School

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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.