Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges earn a median salary of $42,225 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $31,989. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.1 years.
Quick Insights
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
$30,935
Typical Career
$42,225
Top Performers
$59,900
Estimated break-even: 17.1 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$282
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,519. Most students can comfortably afford about a $282 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x 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, Accommodation & Food Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$31,989
Nominal: $42,225 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).
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 | $21,778 | $28,969 | $41,003 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $30,935 | $42,225 | $59,900 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $39,682 | $55,078 | $76,435 |
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 $42,225 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)
= $42,225 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $31,989 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 41.9% of employment, followed by another 21.9% in the same sector, and 11.2% in Retail Trade. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 17.1 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this educational path. While the earnings trajectory shows promise, potential students should weigh the time required to recoup educational costs against their career aspirations in these industries.
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See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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Other Degrees at Sullivan County Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges
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.