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Public · 4-year

SUNY at Purchase College

Purchase, New York

29
F
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return
$-105,739 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

Never
Break-even
-127%
10-year ROI
$42,759
Median earnings as of 2024
62% of SUNY at Purchase College students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$18,913
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$42,759
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$22,011
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$21,067
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
63%
Graduation rate as of 2024
62%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
66%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
80%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$-105,739
After 10 years
$-128,149
After 20 years
$-150,559
After 30 years
$-172,969
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$47,774
Men
$42,853

10% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$45,590
From higher-income families
$44,593

2% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$45,073
Independent students
$44,900

Essentially no gap — the payoff is even

24%
First-generation students
42%
Take federal student loans
81%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 47%Hispanic 28%Asian 4%Black 13%Other 8%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$11,835
$30k–$48k$15,230
$48k–$75k$19,658
$75k–$110k$20,886
$110k+$25,428

How SUNY at Purchase College compares

This college against the New York and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of SUNY at Purchase College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at SUNY at Purchase College

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
EconomicsAssociate's$70,695$17,750+480%Strong return
Mathematics and Statistics, OtherAssociate's$65,394+439%Strong return
Visual and Performing Arts, OtherAssociate's$59,410$22,798+212%Strong return
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$59,050$21,125+209%Strong return
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$51,651$23,000+44%Break-even
Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's$49,750$18,750+6%Break-even
JournalismAssociate's$48,662$21,500-20%Poor return
SociologyAssociate's$46,700$18,971-62%Poor return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's$44,688$20,000-107%Poor return
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftAssociate's$42,645$25,000-150%Poor return
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchAssociate's$42,872-156%Poor return
Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementAssociate's$41,761$19,500-172%Poor return
MusicCertificate$34,862$37,812-213%Poor return
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsAssociate's$37,180$25,695-266%Poor return
Social Sciences, OtherAssociate's$38,252-278%Poor return
LiteratureAssociate's$34,856$24,400-317%Poor return
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesAssociate's$32,973$22,846-361%Poor return
MusicAssociate's$31,045$20,379-408%Poor return
Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's$30,385$20,500-423%Poor return
DanceAssociate's$21,932$26,000-588%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at SUNY at Purchase College

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

74%
Admission rate
1,312
Average SAT
29
Median ACT
3,197
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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