Natural Sciences at Daemen University

The strikingly low first-year earnings of $6,394 at Daemen tell an important story: many Natural Sciences graduates aren't immediately working in their field, likely pursuing graduate school or taking gap-year positions. The dramatic jump to $60,810 by year four suggests this initial lag isn't permanent, and while that four-year figure still trails the national median by about $30,000, it actually places this program above most New York competitors—ranking in the 60th percentile statewide despite scoring only in the 5th percentile nationally.

Here's what concerns me: that $27,000 in debt represents over four times the first-year earnings, creating real cash flow pressure if your child needs to start repaying loans immediately after graduation. The positive spin is that debt sits near the national median for this program, so Daemen isn't notably expensive for what it delivers. But families need a clear plan for those first few years—either grad school with deferred payments, parental support during the initial career phase, or acceptance that your graduate may live very frugally while building their career.

The takeaway? This program works if you can financially bridge that challenging first year and if your child has clear post-graduation plans (research positions, professional school, etc.). The long-term earnings recovery shows the degree has value, but the path requires patience and likely additional family resources during the transition period.