Business Operations Support and Assistant Services at Bryant & Stratton College-Albany

The numbers here tell a worrying story, even accounting for the small sample size: graduates start at a decent $30,125—right at New York's median and above the 65th percentile nationally—but their earnings drop 13% by year four to just $26,332. That backward trajectory is the real concern, suggesting limited advancement opportunities in the roles this program prepares students for.

The $27,300 debt load creates an uncomfortable squeeze. While that's just 91% of first-year earnings—technically manageable—it becomes tougher to justify when earnings are declining rather than growing. You're essentially taking on debt equal to a year's income for a credential that doesn't appear to unlock upward mobility. The debt itself ranks at the 8th percentile nationally, meaning 92% of similar programs leave students with less debt. Among New York's business operations programs, several Bryant & Stratton campuses show identical earnings data, which raises questions about data reliability given the small cohort size.

For parents, the calculus is straightforward: this program gets your child employed quickly but doesn't seem to build momentum from there. If immediate employment is critical and $27,300 in debt feels manageable for your family, the first-year outcomes aren't terrible. But if you're expecting that associate's degree to pay increasing dividends over time, these numbers suggest looking elsewhere—perhaps community colleges that deliver similar initial outcomes with substantially less debt.