ROI Major

Biology, General at SUNY at Fredonia

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 26.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Biology, General degree from SUNY at Fredonia earn a median salary of $56,642 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,911. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.3 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

$41,387

Typical Career

$56,642

Top Performers

$73,633

Estimated break-even: 9.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$378

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,720. Most students can comfortably afford about a $378 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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 27.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.0%

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

$42,911

Nominal: $56,642 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).

9.3 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 $22,588 $29,348 $42,081
5 Years After Graduation $41,387 $56,642 $73,633
10 Years After Graduation $54,191 $81,106 $112,592

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 $56,642 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)
= $56,642 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $42,911 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for Biology, General graduates from SUNY at Fredonia shows a significant increase over time. Graduates earn a median of $29,348.00 one year after graduation, which rises to $56,642.00 after five years and reaches $81,106.00 after ten years. However, considering 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 median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $42,910.61, indicating that graduates may face higher living expenses that could impact their financial well-being.

Graduates typically enter diverse fields, with the largest sectors being Educational Services (27.5%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.5%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.0%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 9.3 years, suggesting that while the long-term financial benefits of a degree in Biology, General can be favorable, students should consider the time it takes to recoup their educational investment against potential earnings in their chosen industries.

Compare with Another School

See how the Biology, General degree at SUNY at Fredonia 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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