ROI Major

Information Science/Studies at Dutchess Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.04

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Information Science/Studies degree from Dutchess Community College earn a median salary of $69,154 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,389. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.2 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

$51,851

Typical Career

$69,154

Top Performers

$93,589

Estimated break-even: 7.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$461

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,763. Most students can comfortably afford about a $461 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.1%
Retail Trade 10.7%
Educational Services 8.5%

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

$52,389

Nominal: $69,154 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).

7.2 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 $33,372 $44,129 $56,106
5 Years After Graduation $51,851 $69,154 $93,589
10 Years After Graduation $39,998 $70,012 $95,590

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 $69,154 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)
= $69,154 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $52,389 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Information Science/Studies program at Dutchess Community College experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $44,129, which increases to $69,154 five years post-graduation and reaches $70,012 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $52,389.39, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than the national average, the long-term financial outlook remains positive, especially considering the cost of living index in New York.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 34.9% of employment, followed by another segment within the same industry at 27.1%, and Educational Services at 14.5%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 7.2 years, suggesting that pursuing this degree can yield a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, the combination of industry demand and earnings potential positions this program as a viable option for students considering a career in Information Science/Studies.

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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.