ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Genesee Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Genesee Community College earn a median salary of $38,971 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $29,523. The degree typically pays for itself in 23.2 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

$28,559

Typical Career

$38,971

Top Performers

$52,194

Estimated break-even: 23.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$260

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,248. Most students can comfortably afford about a $260 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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

$29,523

Nominal: $38,971 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).

23.2 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 $19,033 $25,620 $35,144
5 Years After Graduation $28,559 $38,971 $52,194
10 Years After Graduation $36,776 $50,369 $65,723

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 $38,971 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)
= $38,971 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $29,523 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program at Genesee Community College experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $25,620, which rises to $38,971 after five years and reaches $50,369 a decade post-graduation. However, considering the cost of living in New York, which has a COL index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $29,523.48, indicating that graduates may face challenges in maintaining their purchasing power relative to national standards.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 32.2% of employment, followed closely by Educational Services at 14.5%. This trend suggests that graduates are likely to find opportunities in sectors that prioritize interpersonal skills and community engagement. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 23.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be considered moderate, reflecting both the potential for meaningful employment and the financial implications of pursuing higher education in a state with a higher cost of living.

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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.