ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges earn a median salary of $46,878 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,514. The degree typically pays for itself in 14.9 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

$34,107

Typical Career

$46,878

Top Performers

$65,194

Estimated break-even: 14.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$313

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,907. Most students can comfortably afford about a $313 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Accommodation & Food Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 41.9%
Public Administration 8.7%
Accommodation & Food Services 8.4%

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

$35,514

Nominal: $46,878 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).

14.9 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 $22,337 $33,923 $49,308
5 Years After Graduation $34,107 $46,878 $65,194
10 Years After Graduation $39,769 $55,464 $75,444

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 $46,878 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)
= $46,878 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $35,514 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 Sullivan County Community College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,923, which rise to $46,878 after five years and reach $55,464 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $35,513.64, reflecting the cost of living in New York, which has a COL index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0. This indicates that while initial earnings may be lower relative to other regions, the long-term salary growth appears promising.

In terms of career opportunities, the majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, which account for 41.9% and 21.9% of placements, respectively, followed by Retail Trade at 11.2%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 14.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree is significant. The data suggests that while the initial financial benefits may take time to materialize, the long-term career prospects and earnings potential in these industries can justify the investment in higher education.

Compare with Another School

See how the Business Administration and Management degree at Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges 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.