Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at University at Albany

University at Albany's IT management program delivers surprisingly modest returns for a tech degree, especially when you consider what other New York schools achieve. At $45,637 first-year earnings, graduates earn about $12,500 less than the state median—and lag far behind what RIT ($89,032) or even SUNY Polytechnic ($52,079) deliver. That gap matters because this program sits at just the 40th percentile statewide, meaning three in five comparable New York programs produce better outcomes.

The debt picture provides some relief—at $24,637, it's slightly below both state and national averages, creating a manageable 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates can reasonably expect to pay down their loans. The moderate sample size also suggests this isn't a statistical fluke; there's real data here showing consistent but underwhelming performance.

Here's the practical reality: if your child is set on IT management in New York and already committed to Albany for other reasons (proximity, campus fit, financial aid), the debt burden won't sink them. But if maximizing return on a tech degree is the priority, other SUNY options like Polytechnic—or even private schools with strong aid packages—could deliver $7,000 to $45,000 more in annual earnings with comparable or lower debt. That difference compounds quickly over a career.