ROI Major

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management at North Country Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 31.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management degree from North Country Community College earn a median salary of $34,351 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $26,023. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.8 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

$20,397

Typical Career

$34,351

Top Performers

$42,201

Estimated break-even: 13.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$229

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,863. Most students can comfortably afford about a $229 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x 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, 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

$26,023

Nominal: $34,351 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).

13.8 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 $23,338 $34,513 $55,464
5 Years After Graduation $20,397 $34,351 $42,201
10 Years After Graduation $31,171 $65,986 $88,977

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 $34,351 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)
= $34,351 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $26,023 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management program at North Country Community College experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $34,513, which slightly declines to $34,351 five years post-graduation. However, a significant increase is observed ten years after graduation, with median earnings reaching $65,986. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $26,023.48 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower, long-term financial prospects improve significantly.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 72.6% of employment, and Public Administration at 10.8%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 13.8 years, suggesting a considerable return on investment over time. While initial earnings may not be as high as in other fields, the long-term career trajectory and industry demand indicate a positive overall ROI for graduates in this program.

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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.