10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$270,902at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science
⌖ Paul Smiths, NY · 9 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$270,902 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
181.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−94%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,583Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college—not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Rural
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$26,683Average net price / year
$51,506Cost of attendance
$22,750Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$241/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,583Median earnings · year 5 after completion
50.5%Completion rate
76.5%Admission rate
579Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$35,524Year 1
$48,703Year 4
$46,583Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy · Bachelor's Degree$53,7882Natural Resources Conservation and Research · Bachelor's Degree$51,3593Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management · Bachelor's Degree$50,1714Forestry · Associate's Degree$49,9505Forestry · Bachelor's Degree$49,2916Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General · Bachelor's Degree$46,8347Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$42,6528Culinary Arts and Related Services · Associate's Degree$41,909Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential—not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's Degree · $50,171 reported+11%vs same-degree national median$24,874federal debt2Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · $41,909 reported+6%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3ForestryAssociate's Degree · $49,950 reported+3%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Environmental/Natural Resources Management and PolicyBachelor's Degree · $53,788 reported-4%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree · $51,359 reported-7%vs same-degree national median$25,089federal debt6Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $46,834 reported-7%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in NY
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
New York, NY
Metropolitan College of New York
- Annual net price
- $28,882
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,319
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -92%
Hilbert College
- Annual net price
- $22,723
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,646
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Houghton University
- Annual net price
- $20,519
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $43,607
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -105%
Gemological Institute of America-New York
- Annual net price
- $18,977
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,504
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -102%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Bachelor's Degree | $53,788 | $27,000 | 1 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $51,359 | $25,089 | Not reported |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $50,171 | $24,874 | Not reported |
| Forestry | Associate's Degree | $49,950 | Not available | Not reported |
| Forestry | Bachelor's Degree | $49,291 | Not available | 2 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | Bachelor's Degree | $46,834 | Not available | Not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $42,652 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $41,909 | Not available | Not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $41,797 | $23,250 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.