Top 50 Best Associate Degree Programs in New York by ROI

Every Associate Degree program in New York ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in New York

594

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$109,543

Across all New York programs

Average Annual Cost

$18,909

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	Onondaga Community College Grad rate: 24.8%	Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$1,405,314	$113,727	$14,613	N/A	Full ROI →
2	College of Staten Island CUNY Grad rate: 33.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,199,694	$104,567	$14,084	$17,391	Full ROI →
3	CUNY Hostos Community College Grad rate: 19.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,039,345	$95,978	$12,390	$11,433	Full ROI →
4	CUNY Queensborough Community College Grad rate: 24.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$979,134	$93,338	$11,882	$17,675	Full ROI →
5	Cochran School of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$934,456	$90,529	N/A	$26,758	Full ROI →
6	CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College Grad rate: 24.9%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$917,901	$90,052	$12,187	$13,900	Full ROI →
7	Rockland Community College Grad rate: 29.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$900,753	$89,747	$14,941	$18,003	Full ROI →
8	CUNY Bronx Community College Grad rate: 19.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$897,876	$89,270	$11,987	$17,444	Full ROI →
9	Nassau Community College Grad rate: 22.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$891,368	$89,190	$13,907	$18,235	Full ROI →
10	Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing	Bioethics/Medical Ethics.	+$853,203	$86,013	N/A	$20,042	Full ROI →
11	CUNY New York City College of Technology Grad rate: 20.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$839,982	$85,947	$13,404	$9,000	Full ROI →
12	Swedish Institute a College of Health Sciences Grad rate: 40.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$806,381	$88,405	$37,403	$34,750	Full ROI →
13	CUNY LaGuardia Community College Grad rate: 27.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$789,492	$83,509	$13,167	$10,632	Full ROI →
14	Helene Fuld College of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$782,437	$87,170	$41,733	$27,775	Full ROI →
15	St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens Grad rate: 51.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$774,111	$86,731	$38,134	$32,771	Full ROI →
16	Suffolk County Community College Grad rate: 24.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$764,900	$82,572	$11,626	$17,250	Full ROI →
17	CUNY Kingsborough Community College Grad rate: 25.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$742,162	$80,980	$12,998	$8,475	Full ROI →
18	CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College Grad rate: 24.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$740,259	$81,311	$12,187	$15,990	Full ROI →
19	St Paul's School of Nursing-Staten Island Grad rate: 38.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$723,133	$84,861	$46,582	$30,313	Full ROI →
20	CUNY LaGuardia Community College Grad rate: 27.1%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$684,986	$77,566	$13,167	N/A	Full ROI →
21	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Grad rate: 46.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$603,947	$76,294	$26,285	$21,750	Full ROI →
22	Nassau Community College Grad rate: 22.2%	Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$602,146	$73,498	$13,907	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Ulster County Community College Grad rate: 29.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$588,238	$74,602	$12,927	$28,109	Full ROI →
24	Orange County Community College Grad rate: 22.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$583,403	$74,038	$14,396	$21,159	Full ROI →
25	Nassau Community College Grad rate: 22.2%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$582,671	$73,773	$13,907	$18,500	Full ROI →
26	Sullivan County Community College Grad rate: 23.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$576,059	$73,883	$16,693	$20,900	Full ROI →
27	Dutchess Community College Grad rate: 28.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$572,080	$73,651	$15,709	$21,868	Full ROI →
28	Hudson Valley Community College Grad rate: 31.0%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	+$561,212	$71,426	$13,654	N/A	Full ROI →
29	CUNY New York City College of Technology Grad rate: 20.4%	Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$541,332	$70,407	$13,404	N/A	Full ROI →
30	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Grad rate: 46.1%	Construction Trades, Other.	+$517,230	$70,490	$26,285	N/A	Full ROI →
31	St. Joseph's College of Nursing	Bioethics/Medical Ethics.	+$502,588	$70,176	$30,466	N/A	Full ROI →
32	SUNY College of Technology at Canton Grad rate: 42.6%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$489,682	$68,801	$23,169	N/A	Full ROI →
33	Erie Community College Grad rate: 25.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$462,544	$67,735	$12,475	$20,152	Full ROI →
34	Fulton-Montgomery Community College Grad rate: 32.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$458,977	$68,092	$14,219	$25,500	Full ROI →
35	CUNY Medgar Evers College Grad rate: 23.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$458,827	$67,464	$14,069	$16,529	Full ROI →
36	CUNY Bronx Community College Grad rate: 19.5%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$458,106	$66,104	$11,987	N/A	Full ROI →
37	CUNY Bronx Community College Grad rate: 19.5%	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions.	+$446,226	$65,510	$11,987	N/A	Full ROI →
38	Trocaire College Grad rate: 21.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$444,180	$67,159	$29,500	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Hudson Valley Community College Grad rate: 31.0%	Engineering, General.	+$436,082	$65,777	$13,654	$9,000	Full ROI →
40	Monroe Community College Grad rate: 21.8%	Engineering, General.	+$429,288	$65,504	$14,196	$9,185	Full ROI →
41	Onondaga Community College Grad rate: 24.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$427,729	$66,492	$14,613	$24,359	Full ROI →
42	Hudson Valley Community College Grad rate: 31.0%	Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$424,052	$64,568	$13,654	N/A	Full ROI →
43	Molloy University Grad rate: 70.4%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$423,173	$69,840	$48,251	$27,500	Full ROI →
44	Columbia-Greene Community College Grad rate: 33.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$396,393	$64,909	$12,441	$27,337	Full ROI →
45	SUNY College of Technology at Canton Grad rate: 42.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$388,194	$65,470	$23,169	$25,828	Full ROI →
46	Niagara County Community College Grad rate: 31.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$384,692	$63,956	$13,545	$20,250	Full ROI →
47	Suffolk County Community College Grad rate: 24.1%	Data Processing.	+$375,488	$61,937	$11,626	N/A	Full ROI →
48	Hudson Valley Community College Grad rate: 31.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$368,313	$63,633	$13,654	$27,436	Full ROI →
49	Excelsior University	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$367,423	$61,889	N/A	$22,486	Full ROI →
50	Suffolk County Community College Grad rate: 24.1%	Engineering, General.	+$364,968	$61,411	$11,626	N/A	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.