Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians at Ulster County Community College

Ulster County Community College's vet tech program sits in an uncomfortable middle position: it beats most national programs but falls below the New York state median of $37,771. Among the eight schools offering this program in New York, graduates here earn less than peers at comparable SUNY programs while carrying similar debt loads around $13,000.

The real concern isn't the debt—at $12,854, it's actually manageable relative to first-year earnings. The problem is the earnings trajectory. Graduates see income decline from $37,346 to $35,254 over four years, which is unusual even for veterinary technicians (a field not known for rapid salary growth). Compare this to CUNY LaGuardia, where vet techs earn $50,281, or even Canton and Delhi SUNY programs where earnings hold steadier in the $37,000-$38,000 range.

That said, these numbers come from a very small graduating class, so individual circumstances could vary significantly. For a student committed to staying in the Hudson Valley area, the low debt load means career flexibility even if salaries stay modest. But families should seriously consider whether other SUNY vet tech programs might offer better earning potential for similar tuition costs.