SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, New York · Public · 92.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 36/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
SUNY Canton, a public technology college in upstate New York's North Country, scores 36 (Below Benchmark). Tuition of $8,742 in-state is genuinely affordable, but the $15,268 net price tells a different story - net price exceeds tuition because non-tuition costs (housing, fees, supplies) dominate for many students. $20,000 median debt against the modest earnings produces a 0.635 D/E ratio and 15.6-year payback period. Repayment rate of 62.2% is weak, suggesting many graduates rely on income-driven repayment. The school's veterinary tech, allied health, and nursing programs are its strongest professional pipelines. With 2,741 students and 50% Pell rate, SUNY Canton serves a heavily low-income North Country and Adirondack-region student body. The school's career-tech mission is real, but the rural labor market caps the upside. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, SUNY Canton is a reasonable value for students who choose its strong vocational programs and a weak one for those drifting into its general business and liberal-arts tracks.
How SUNY College of Technology at Canton 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 Score36/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate38.5% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period15.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,742/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,572/yr |
| Average net price | $15,268/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $61,072 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,860 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $212 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 38.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,741 |
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: $8,742/year ($13,572/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 $15,268/year, or roughly $61,072 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 $10,908/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,077/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,000, which works out to about $212 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,500) and comes to 0.64, 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 | $10,908 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,813 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,700 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,984 |
| $110,001+ | $22,077 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $10,908 net per year - reasonable for SUNY pricing. Pell and NY's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) stack effectively. Total four-year cost approaches $44K. Workable for nursing and vet tech graduates; weaker for the general-track majors where earnings hit closer to $35K-$45K.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48K-$75K band pays $17,700 and the $75K-$110K band pays $17,984 - essentially the same, indicating a flat aid cliff in this range. Middle-income North Country families face roughly $71K in four-year cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay $22,077 net per year - notably above the in-state tuition sticker, indicating aid is essentially zero. Total four-year cost approaches $88K. For high-income upstate families, the value proposition is weak.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at SUNY College of Technology at Canton with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $59,700 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,778 | C |
| Clinical Psychology | $51,077 | D |
| Homeland Security | $63,759 | C+ |
| Registered Nursing | $102,176 | B+ |
| Legal Support Services | $51,120 | C |
| Finance and Financial Management | $60,986 | C |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | $41,426 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $64,120 | C |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $58,227 | B |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is SUNY Canton's strongest ROI: 32 graduates with $81,256 first-year earnings, $24,500 debt, and a 0.302 D/E ratio (B+ grade). Strong upstate NY nursing labor market plus the regulated license make this a high-confidence value path. Often the single best reason to attend SUNY Canton.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health Admin produces 78 graduates - the largest program - with $43,082 first-year earnings, $28,367 debt, and a 0.658 D/E ratio (C grade). Reasonable outcomes feeding upstate hospital and clinic administrative roles. Workable for students drawn to healthcare without nursing's clinical demands.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice enrolls 57 graduates with $37,702 first-year earnings, $23,936 debt, and a 0.635 D/E ratio (C grade). Feeds North Country corrections and state law enforcement. Reasonable for students with concrete career plans in regional public-sector security.
Homeland Security
Homeland Security produces 33 graduates with $48,753 first-year earnings, $24,617 debt, and a 0.505 D/E ratio (C+ grade). Among the stronger ROI paths thanks to federal employer pipelines (Border Patrol, CBP, ICE) in upstate New York. Defensible specialized vocational track.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology enrolls 36 graduates with $36,254 first-year earnings, $26,000 debt, and a 0.717 D/E ratio (D grade). Bachelor's-only psychology problem in rural-public context: modest earnings, meaningful debt, and limited graduate-school pipelines locally. Students need a clear master's plan to make this work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 53.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 62.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 52.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 57.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How SUNY College of Technology at Canton’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 | 92.2% |
| Enrollment | 2,741 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,884 |
SUNY Canton admits 92.2% of applicants - effectively open access. The university does not report SAT or ACT mid-ranges in current Scorecard data. The 38.5% completion rate is weak, reflecting the school's open-access mission and its working-class first-generation student population.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton (this school) | 36 | $15,268 | $47,860 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 92 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | 81 | $3,103 | $60,752 |
| Southern Oregon University | 37 | $16,732 | $49,175 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | 34 | $12,250 | $44,030 |
Who Thrives Here
SUNY Canton fits North Country New Yorkers, particularly Pell-eligible students seeking technology and applied-vocational credentials they couldn't otherwise access locally. With 50.4% Pell rate and 2,741 students, the campus is heavily working-class and rural. Strong fit for nursing, veterinary tech, and engineering-technology students who can leverage SUNY Canton's specialized programs. Weak fit for students choosing general business or psychology where outcomes lag and the rural labor market provides no earnings boost.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, SUNY College of Technology at Canton scores 36/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,268 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,860 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.6 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 38.5% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 62.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
SUNY College of Technology at Canton: Common Questions
Is SUNY College of Technology at Canton worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. SUNY College of Technology at Canton scores 36/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,268 a year after aid against $47,860 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does SUNY College of Technology at Canton 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 $15,268 a year, or roughly $61,072 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 Technology at Canton graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,860 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,060 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 Technology at Canton?
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 15.6 years for SUNY College of Technology at Canton. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do SUNY College of Technology at Canton graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,000, against average earnings of $31,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at SUNY College of Technology at Canton?
The six-year graduation rate is 38.5%. 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.