10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$86,312at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Hobart William Smith Colleges
⌖ Geneva, NY · 16 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$86,312 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.
13.9 yrsModeled economic break-even
−28%Modeled 10-year ROI
$66,994Observed earnings · year 5
$9,985Maximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
The price benchmark would need to fall by $21,578 per year to reach it.
Includes direct price and earnings forgone while studying. Assumes $45,000 in alternative annual earnings and no wage growth. How we calculate itWhat the numbers say about Hobart William Smith Colleges
What does Hobart William Smith Colleges cost?
Hobart William Smith Colleges reports an average annual net price of $31,563 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $66,994 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $27,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Hobart William Smith Colleges worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 16 field-and-credential outcomes at Hobart William Smith Colleges; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$39,940
$10,000Annual price−$60
$20,000Annual price−$40,060
$30,000Annual price−$80,060
$32,000Current college-wide context−$88,060
$40,000Annual price−$120,060
$50,000Annual price−$160,060
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- New England Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$31,563Average net price / year
$82,602Cost of attendance
$27,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$286/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$66,994Median earnings · year 5 after completion
77.3%Completion rate
64.0%Admission rate
1,786Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
71% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
193 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
75% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$70,492Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$57,450Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$72,875Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income70%
Middle income75%
Higher income86%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
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
$40,668Year 1
$70,017Year 4
$66,994Year 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.
1Economics · Bachelor's Degree$111,8332Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$103,8223Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$79,7784International Relations and National Security Studies · Bachelor's Degree$77,9775Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's Degree$73,6506Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies · Bachelor's Degree$68,5227Architecture and Related Services, Other · Bachelor's Degree$68,3418Sociology · Bachelor's Degree$67,556Observed 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.
1Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesBachelor's Degree · $68,522 reported+41%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2EconomicsBachelor's Degree · $111,833 reported+35%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt3Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's Degree · $73,650 reported+31%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt4SociologyBachelor's Degree · $67,556 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$26,500federal debt5Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree · $79,778 reported+26%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt6HistoryBachelor's Degree · $60,616 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal 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.
Rochester, NY
St. John Fisher University
- Annual net price
- $28,945
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $66,453
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -27%
Siena University
- Annual net price
- $33,733
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $69,406
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -23%
Iona University
- Annual net price
- $29,188
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $69,867
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -16%
St. John's University-New York
- Annual net price
- $29,999
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $71,559
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -11%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $111,833 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $103,822 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $79,778 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $77,977 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $73,650 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $68,522 | Not available | Not reported |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $68,341 | $26,750 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $67,556 | $26,500 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $62,737 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $61,905 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $60,616 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $60,381 | $24,250 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,317 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $55,440 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $40,284 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Education, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 | 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.