College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY 3,769 Undergrads 65.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$28,193
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,606
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,735
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,606
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,735
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,867
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate65.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients42.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
78.4%
SAT Avg
1,165
SAT Reading
25th: 54059075th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 54057075th: 610
ACT Composite
25th: 222475th: 28

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

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
+$543k
+$73k
+$56k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$487k
+$17k
+$206
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$441k
-$29k
-$45k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
64
0%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-44%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return14%

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-50%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$19,744
Earnings (4yr)
$70,109
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,227
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$348k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,091
Earnings (4yr)
$67,359
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,499
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$64,493
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$51,715
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,653
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,383
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,331
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,418
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$657
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,153
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,155
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,281
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,030
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,875
Earnings (4yr)
$74,550
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$12,997
Earnings (4yr)
$38,407
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$54,187
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,178
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,593
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$40,034
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,108
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,677
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,684
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,029
Earnings (4yr)
$54,099
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,000
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,754
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,673
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,888
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,121
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$16,936
Earnings (4yr)
$92,095
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$244k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,814
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,321
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,925
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,704
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,965
Earnings (4yr)
$55,996
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,527
Earnings (4yr)
$64,111
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,321
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$255k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Sciences
MastCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,321
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,090
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,554
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$99,044
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
+$300k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), 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 decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.