Biomedical/Medical Engineering at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

SUNY-ESF's biomedical engineering program appears to deliver solid value based on what comparable New York programs produce. With estimated debt around $21,000—lower than both the state and national medians—and first-year earnings tracking closely with New York's typical outcomes for this major, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 suggests manageable monthly payments that shouldn't overwhelm a recent graduate's budget.

The estimated earnings figure of roughly $63,000 aligns with the state median and sits just below the national benchmark, which makes sense for a SUNY institution. While top New York programs like RPI and Rochester Institute of Technology report significantly higher starting salaries (above $72,000), they also likely come with steeper price tags. The real question is whether SUNY-ESF's biomedical engineering program can match the depth and industry connections of these established programs—something the limited graduate data makes harder to verify.

For families weighing this option, the relatively low debt burden is genuinely attractive, especially at an 83% admission rate that makes this program accessible. However, because these figures are drawn from peer programs rather than SUNY-ESF's own graduates, you're making an educated guess about outcomes. If your student is confident about biomedical engineering as a career path and values a SUNY education, the estimated financial picture looks reasonable. Just recognize that until more graduates complete this program, you're betting on SUNY-ESF delivering results similar to other New York biomedical engineering programs—not an unreasonable assumption, but one worth acknowledging.