SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill
Cobleskill, New York · Public · 84.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 34/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
SUNY Cobleskill, a small SUNY agricultural and technology college in upstate New York, scores 34 (Below Benchmark tier) on a profile dominated by completion-rate weakness. In-state tuition of $8,768 is reasonable, out-of-state climbs to $18,678, and the average net price of $18,701 puts four-year cost at roughly $74,804. Notably, the net price actually exceeds in-state tuition, reflecting that room/board and fees - not tuition - drive the bulk of cost for residential students at this rural campus. Average earnings six years out are just $29,700, climbing to a median $45,030 by year ten. Median federal debt of $16,023 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 (sub-score 65 - actually the strongest component). The killer is completion: 42.3% earns a sub-score of 25, and the 21.4-year payback period reflects how slowly graduates recoup costs. Repayment rate of 70.9% (3-year) is mediocre but consistent with the agricultural/technical workforce. The school's identity is genuine - hands-on agriculture, animal science, plant science, and trades - and the 86 animal science graduates per year represent real workforce production. But the math says: too many students don't finish, and those who do enter low-margin agricultural and rural-economy roles.
How SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score34/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period21.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,768/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,678/yr |
| Average net price | $18,701/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $74,804 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,030 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $16,023 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $170 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 42.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,904 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $8,768/year ($18,678/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $18,701/year, or roughly $74,804 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $13,279/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,356/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $16,023, which works out to about $170 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,700) and comes to 0.54, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $13,279 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,988 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,887 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,346 |
| $110,001+ | $25,356 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,279 net annually, totaling about $53,116 over four years. NY state TAP plus Pell covers most tuition, but room/board and fees drive the residual. For low-income students choosing animal science or plant science with clear rural/ag career trajectories, the cost is workable; for uncertain students, the 42% completion rate compounds the financial risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $18,887 per year, about $75,548 over four years. The aid drop-off from the lower bracket is sharp - middle-income families pay $5,608 more annually with little academic differentiation. This bracket gets the worst aid leverage at Cobleskill.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income families ($110,001+) pay $25,356 annually, totaling about $101,424 across four years - exceeding even the published total cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Sciences | $50,491 | C |
| Plant Sciences | $51,399 | - |
| Teacher Education | $44,842 | - |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $48,346 | - |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | $61,963 | - |
| Agricultural Engineering | $66,694 | - |
| Information Science | $55,799 | C+ |
| Graphic Communications | $44,661 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Animal Sciences
Animal Sciences is Cobleskill's signature program at 86 graduates per year - the largest cohort by far. Median 1-year earnings of $37,068, $50,491 at 4 years, $24,000 in median debt, and a 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio earn a C grade. Animal science graduates enter veterinary tech, dairy management, equine industry, and animal-care roles where wages are structurally moderate. The program's reputation is real, but families should expect 12-15 year payback timelines.
Plant Sciences
Plant Sciences graduates 32 per year with $51,399 in 4-year median earnings. The math likely supports a moderate payback.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education produces 14 graduates with $44,842 in 4-year earnings. Debt data is not reported. The cohort is small, limiting the program's impact on aggregate school metrics.
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Culinary Arts graduates 14 per year with $27,738 starting and $48,346 at 4 years. Debt data is not published. Culinary careers are notoriously slow-ramp, and the data shows it: students who graduate and stay in the industry see meaningful wage growth between years 1 and 4. ROI is grade-uncomputed but directionally tight.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 65.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 84.0% |
| Enrollment | 1,904 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,556 |
SUNY Cobleskill admits 84% of applicants. SAT and ACT data is not reported in the current Scorecard pull, suggesting the campus is largely test-optional or that test-submitters are too few to publish. The 42.3% completion rate is the central story: open-access admissions plus a hands-on agricultural curriculum produce significant attrition.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (this school) | 34 | $18,701 | $45,030 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 92 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | 81 | $3,103 | $60,752 |
| New Mexico Highlands University | 39 | $14,838 | $45,937 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| Missouri Western State University | 29 | $13,251 | $42,647 |
Who Thrives Here
SUNY Cobleskill fits the New York-resident student with hands-on career interests in agriculture, animal science, horticulture, culinary arts, or applied technology. Pell rate of 43.3% indicates a genuinely working-class student body. Enrollment of 1,904 keeps it small. The strongest fit is for students with a clear vocational orientation - dairy management, equine programs, plant sciences for landscape and greenhouse careers - who plan to enter rural or agricultural labor markets. Students looking for traditional liberal arts or who are uncertain about their direction face high attrition risk here.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill scores 34/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,701 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,030 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.4 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 42.3% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $16,023 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill: Common Questions
Is SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill scores 34/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,701 a year after aid against $45,030 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $18,701 a year, or roughly $74,804 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,030 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,230 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 21.4 years for SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $16,023, against average earnings of $29,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill?
The six-year graduation rate is 42.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.