History at SUNY at Purchase College

A $23,803 starting salary puts Purchase College history graduates nearly $7,400 below the New York state median and at the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of history programs produce better earnings outcomes. While the debt load of $22,076 stays slightly below benchmarks, the real issue is the earning power: first-year salaries barely exceed what New York's minimum wage would provide for full-time work. Within New York alone, comparable SUNY and CUNY programs show dramatically different outcomes—CUNY Lehman's history graduates, for instance, earn $43,874, nearly double Purchase's figure.

The small sample size here (fewer than 30 graduates) demands caution, as a handful of students pursuing unpaid internships or graduate school could skew these numbers significantly. However, even accounting for statistical noise, the gap between Purchase and both state and national medians is substantial enough to warrant concern. The 25th percentile ranking within New York suggests this isn't just about one unusually weak cohort.

For a liberal arts degree where graduate school is often the next step, starting this far behind financially makes that path considerably harder. Unless your child has specific reasons to choose Purchase—perhaps its renowned arts programs in another area—exploring other SUNY or CUNY options for history would likely provide better economic grounding for whatever comes next.