Data just released by the federal government is good news for Farmingdale State College students about to enter the job market.
The Wall Street Journal surveyed the data, and reported on academic institutions whose
graduates' first-year earnings exceed the amount of federal student-loan debt they
carry. The Journal looked at 16 Farmingdale degree programs, each of which showed
dollars earned exceeded dollars owed.
"For the first time, Americans can now compare the student-debt levels and first-year
earnings of graduates based on what they studied, broken out by major or graduate
degree program," The Journal said. "The release could allow students to make more
informed decisions about where to go to college, what to study and how much to borrow."
The Journal evaluated 16 Farmingdale programs, and found that students graduating
from each would earn more than their federal-loan debt. Among the programs evaluated
were Medical Laboratory Science, Business Management, Construction Engineering Technology,
Applied Psychology, Aviation, Criminal Justice, and Nursing.
Nursing topped the list of earnings-to-debt ratio ($90, 900 vs. $19,371), followed
by Medical Laboratory Science ($65,500 vs. $22,129) and Construction Engineering Technology
($57,800 vs. $16,981). Graduates in only three of the 16 programs went into their
careers more than $20,000 in debt. Still, as with the 13 other programs, earnings
exceeded debt.
"Once again, Farmingdale State College stands out as a great educational value," says
President Nader. "The data are clear and consistent and reveal that our graduates
find excellent jobs and need not borrow heavily to receive an excellent education."
