Back to Colleges
State University of New York at Oswego
Oswego, NY 5,618 Undergrads 66.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$27,155
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,231
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,566
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$17,231
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$57,566
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate66.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.6%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
80.4%
SAT Avg
1,177
SAT Reading
25th: 53058575th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 53058575th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 232775th: 27
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$498k
+$101k
+$13k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$436k
+$39k
-$49k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$400k
+$4k
-$84k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
50
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
Never
-78%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-86%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-58%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-67%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$21,195
Earnings (5yr)
$66,191
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$19,362
Earnings (2yr)
$25,774
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
BachCIP: 4004
Median Debt
$24,979
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,144
Earnings (5yr)
$66,561
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$62,445
Lifetime Value Added
-$916
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (2yr)
$67,324
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$22,036
Earnings (5yr)
$58,245
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$43,544
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$25,520
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$332k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,876
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$23,519
Earnings (5yr)
$52,699
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$44,107
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,213
Earnings (5yr)
$78,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$32,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$24,896
Earnings (5yr)
$47,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (5yr)
$63,198
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$25,496
Earnings (2yr)
$36,141
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (2yr)
$24,730
Lifetime Value Added
-$302k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$25,958
Earnings (5yr)
$49,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,698
Earnings (5yr)
$62,670
Lifetime Value Added
+$842
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$34,704
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$23,402
Earnings (5yr)
$60,021
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,678
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (5yr)
$58,896
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,482
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$42,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,933
Lifetime Value Added
-$282k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$42,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,196
Earnings (5yr)
$53,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$57,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Zoology/Animal Biology
BachCIP: 2607
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$40,758
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$52,941
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$22,118
Earnings (5yr)
$92,778
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,231
Lifetime Value Added
-$568
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$62,136
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Graduate Certificates
Educational Administration and Supervision
Gr-CertCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$96,767
Lifetime Value Added
+$474k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.