ROI Major

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at SUNY Maritime College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.22

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering degree from SUNY Maritime College earn a median salary of $121,052 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $91,706. The degree typically pays for itself in 2.7 years.

Quick Insights

Financial Home Run

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

$93,308

Typical Career

$121,052

Top Performers

$147,191

Estimated to break even in under 3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$807

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $10,088. Most students can comfortably afford about a $807 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 3.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.6x 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: Transportation & Warehousing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Transportation & Warehousing 32.1%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.9%
Public Administration 6.8%

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

$91,706

Nominal: $121,052 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).

2.7 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 $73,465 $88,666 $109,381
5 Years After Graduation $93,308 $121,052 $147,191
10 Years After Graduation $111,546 $141,320 $180,226

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 $121,052 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)
= $121,052 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $91,706 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program at SUNY Maritime College experience a significant earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $88,666, which increases to $121,052 five years post-graduation and further rises to $141,320 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to approximately $91,706.06 nationally, reflecting the program's competitive financial return despite the higher cost of living in New York, indicated by a cost-of-living index of 1.32.

The top industries for graduates include Transportation & Warehousing (32.1%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.9%), and Public Administration (6.8%), showcasing a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 2.7 years, suggesting a relatively quick return on investment for students. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and varied industry entry points indicates a favorable ROI for those pursuing this field at SUNY Maritime College.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering degree at SUNY Maritime College 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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