ROI Major

Information Science/Studies at Genesee Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.04

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Information Science/Studies degree from Genesee Community College earn a median salary of $57,619 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,651. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.2 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

$46,663

Typical Career

$57,619

Top Performers

$72,273

Estimated break-even: 9.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$384

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,802. Most students can comfortably afford about a $384 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x 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, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 32.2%
Educational Services 12.1%
Retail Trade 7.8%

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

$43,651

Nominal: $57,619 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).

9.2 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 $24,529 $37,592 $50,710
5 Years After Graduation $46,663 $57,619 $72,273
10 Years After Graduation $54,615 $71,899 $87,170

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 $57,619 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)
= $57,619 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $43,651 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Information Science/Studies program at Genesee Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $37,592, which increases to $57,619 after five years and reaches $71,899 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $43,650.76, indicating a competitive position in the job market, especially considering the cost of living index in New York is higher than the national average.

The top industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 32.2% and 27.7% of employment, followed by Educational Services at 14.5%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 9.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Students can anticipate a solid career foundation in sectors that are both growing and essential, enhancing the overall value of their educational investment.

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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.