Business, Management, Marketing, at SUNY Maritime College

SUNY Maritime's business program sits at an interesting crossroads: it outperforms 60% of New York business programs while coming in below the national median. But here's what matters more—graduates start at $44,675 and reach $63,807 within four years, a 43% jump that suggests either rapid career progression or strong industry connections. That growth trajectory is particularly notable given the program's accessibility (79% admission rate) and the fact that it's beating more selective NY programs like NYU's business school in four-year earnings.

The debt picture looks unusually favorable. At $19,500, graduates owe about $7,000 less than the typical NY business student and nearly $6,500 less than the national median. That translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44—manageable by any standard and especially impressive for a field where six-figure debt loads aren't uncommon at private institutions. The lower starting salary becomes less concerning when paired with this limited debt burden.

The tradeoff is straightforward: your student accepts a below-average starting salary in exchange for minimal debt and strong earnings growth. If they're disciplined about early-career spending while their salary catches up, this could work out better financially than programs with higher starting points but double the debt. The real question is whether they can weather those first couple of years at $44k in the New York metro area.