Physiology, Pathology at Skidmore College

The combination of unusually low debt and earnings that beat the New York state median suggests Skidmore's physiology program offers better value than first appears—though the small sample size means you should verify these patterns with the school directly. While $30,632 in first-year earnings falls slightly below the national benchmark, it outperforms the typical New York graduate in this field by about $750, and the $13,250 in median debt is less than half what most physiology students carry. That creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43, meaning graduates owe roughly five months' salary—a manageable starting point compared to peers who often owe nearly a full year's income.

The caveat here is significant: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, one or two outliers could skew these numbers considerably. What you're seeing might reflect Skidmore's selective admissions (23% acceptance rate) attracting students with stronger family financial support, or it could indicate that most physiology majors here leverage the degree as a stepping stone to medical or graduate school rather than immediate employment. Before banking on these figures, ask the college for more robust outcomes data and clarify what portion of graduates pursue advanced degrees versus entering the workforce directly. The low debt is real and valuable, but make sure you understand what career path this program typically prepares students for.