ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at North Country Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from North Country Community College earn a median salary of $38,455 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $29,133. The degree typically pays for itself in 22.9 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

$29,557

Typical Career

$38,455

Top Performers

$52,720

Estimated break-even: 22.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$256

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,205. Most students can comfortably afford about a $256 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, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 40.2%
Public Administration 10.8%
Retail Trade 10.0%

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

$29,133

Nominal: $38,455 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).

22.9 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 $21,948 $29,127 $40,502
5 Years After Graduation $29,557 $38,455 $52,720
10 Years After Graduation $35,452 $50,197 $69,917

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 $38,455 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)
= $38,455 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $29,133 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Business Administration and Management program at North Country Community College can expect a steady earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,127, increasing to $38,455 five years later, and reaching $50,197 by the ten-year mark. However, it is important to consider the cost of living in New York, where the cost of living index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0. The purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years post-graduation is approximately $29,132.58, indicating that while earnings grow over time, the local cost of living may impact overall financial well-being.

The primary industries that graduates enter are Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 72.6% of job placements, followed by Public Administration at 10.8%. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program and the local job market, particularly in sectors that are likely to experience continued demand. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 22.9 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. Overall, while the program offers a viable path to employment, prospective students should weigh the financial implications of the cost of living in New York against their potential earnings.

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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.