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Computer and Information Sciences, General at Monroe Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Monroe Community College earn a median salary of $63,134 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,829. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.4 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

$46,621

Typical Career

$63,134

Top Performers

$82,991

Estimated break-even: 8.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$421

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,261. Most students can comfortably afford about a $421 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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 26.0%
Educational Services 10.8%
Retail Trade 9.8%

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

$47,829

Nominal: $63,134 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).

8.4 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 $26,963 $39,371 $53,343
5 Years After Graduation $46,621 $63,134 $82,991
10 Years After Graduation $48,829 $69,154 $103,464

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 $63,134 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)
= $63,134 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $47,829 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Computer and Information Sciences program at Monroe Community College can expect a promising earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $39,371, which increases to $63,134 after five years and reaches $69,154 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $47,828.79, indicating that while graduates may face a higher cost of living in New York (COL index: 1.32), their earnings still reflect a solid return on investment over time.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with a significant number entering the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (26.1% and 26.0%) and Public Administration (24.5%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 8.4 years, suggesting that the investment in education can yield substantial long-term benefits. Overall, the combination of competitive salaries and industry demand indicates a favorable return on investment for students pursuing this path.

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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.