ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Hostos Community College of the City University of New York earn a median salary of $108,205 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $81,973. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.4 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$86,339

Typical Career

$108,205

Top Performers

$131,027

Estimated break-even: 3.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$721

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $9,017. Most students can comfortably afford about a $721 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.4x 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 Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 43.4%
Educational Services 10.8%
Public Administration 8.3%

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

$81,973

Nominal: $108,205 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).

3.4 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 $55,419 $74,629 $97,796
5 Years After Graduation $86,339 $108,205 $131,027
10 Years After Graduation $92,587 $118,516 $140,881

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 $108,205 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)
= $108,205 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $81,973 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research programs at Hostos Community College can expect a strong earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $74,629, which increases significantly to $108,205 after five years and reaches $118,516 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $81,973.48, indicating that while the cost of living in New York is higher (COL index: 1.32), the earning potential remains robust over time.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 58.6% of employment, followed by Educational Services at 10.8%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to a high-school-only path is about 3.4 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing these nursing careers. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and significant industry demand indicates a positive ROI for students considering these nursing programs.

Compare with Another School

See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.