Design and Applied Arts at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 50.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Design and Applied Arts degree from SUNY College of Technology at Alfred earn a median salary of $42,822 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $32,441. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.8 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
$32,695
Typical Career
$42,822
Top Performers
$52,778
Estimated break-even: 13.8 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$285
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,569. Most students can comfortably afford about a $285 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x 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, Manufacturing, Construction.
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
$32,441
Nominal: $42,822 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 | $21,927 | $32,149 | $43,907 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $32,695 | $42,822 | $52,778 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $43,588 | $61,332 | $83,557 |
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 $42,822 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)
= $42,822 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $32,441 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.0%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (21.8%), and Manufacturing (17.1%). This distribution suggests diverse career opportunities within the field. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 13.8 years, indicating that while the investment in education may take time to pay off, the potential for higher earnings and varied career paths may justify the decision for many students.
Compare with Another School
See how the Design and Applied Arts degree at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Ready to apply?
Start your application for Design and Applied Arts at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred.
Explore More
Other Degrees at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
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.