ROI Major

Philosophy at State University of New York at Oneonta

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 38.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Philosophy degree from State University of New York at Oneonta earn a median salary of $44,767 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $33,914. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.3 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$34,107

Typical Career

$44,767

Top Performers

$61,036

Estimated break-even: 10.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$298

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,731. Most students can comfortably afford about a $298 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 23.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$33,914

Nominal: $44,767 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).

10.3 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 $20,397 $26,134 $34,473
5 Years After Graduation $34,107 $44,767 $61,036
10 Years After Graduation $41,695 $87,772 $144,647

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 $44,767 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)
= $44,767 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $33,914 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Philosophy degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta experience a notable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $26,134, which increases to $44,767 five years post-graduation and reaches $87,772 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to $33,914.39 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is significant potential for growth over time, especially when considering the long-term financial benefits of a college degree.

The top industries that Philosophy graduates enter include Educational Services (23.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.3%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 10.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for a Philosophy degree can be considered reasonable, particularly for those who align their career paths with the sectors that value critical thinking and analytical skills. Overall, while the initial financial returns may be lower, the long-term earnings potential and diverse career opportunities provide a compelling case for pursuing this field of study.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Philosophy degree at State University of New York at Oneonta stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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