Sociology at State University of New York at Plattsburgh

SUNY Plattsburgh's sociology program punches well above its weight, with graduates earning nearly $48,000 four years out—about 43% above the national median for sociology majors and substantially higher than New York's typical sociology graduate. While this ranks at the 60th percentile within New York (where several elite private colleges skew the top), it's the 86th percentile nationally, which matters if your child might work anywhere beyond state borders. The debt load of $25,940 is reasonable, translating to a 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio that's far more manageable than many liberal arts programs.

The earnings trajectory here deserves attention: graduates see 23% income growth between years one and four, suggesting they're building marketable skills beyond the degree itself. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked) means these numbers could shift considerably with a larger cohort. What we can say: this isn't a program where graduates struggle to find work that utilizes their education, at least based on recent data.

For a sociology degree from an accessible SUNY campus, these outcomes are genuinely strong. Your child would graduate with less debt than the national average while earning more than most sociology graduates nationwide. Just understand you're looking at a limited dataset that may not fully represent future outcomes.