How much will you earn after graduating from an Upstate NY college?

When choosing a college, it’s important to be aware of graduate outcomes from that college and how much you can expect to make once you leave school.

While we wouldn’t recommend choosing a college based on average graduate salaries alone, expected salary is definitely a factor to consider when determining how to pay for college and whether you’ll be able to afford your student loan payments once you graduate.

For students considering college in Upstate New York or our hometown of Western New York, Buffalo Business First put together a list of average graduate salaries from 43 local colleges.

Science, engineering colleges rank high for salary

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences topped the list of Upstate New York colleges, with an average graduate income of $101,200.

Ivy League college Cornell University ranked second at $93,800, with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($85,500), Colgate University ($79,600) and the University of Rochester ($74,300) rounding out the top five.

Of course, average starting salaries are highly dependent on what you study.

At the top earning colleges, many students major in engineering, the sciences, and other top-paying professions.

Upstate NY colleges ranked by starting salary

Binghamton University in Vestal, NY, was the highest ranking Upstate State University of New York (SUNY) college, ranking 9th overall with an average salary of $65,100.

For Western New York, the University at Buffalo ranked highest, with an average starting salary of $57,300 for graduates.

Check out the full list of 43 colleges below.

1. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, $101,200
2. Cornell University, $93,800
3. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, $85,500
4. Colgate University, $79,600
5. University of Rochester, $74,300
6. Union College, $71,200
7. Hamilton College, $70,700
8. Clarkson University, $69,500
9. Binghamton University, $65,100
10. Syracuse University, $63,900
11. Rochester Institute of Technology, $61,300
11. Siena College, $61,300
13. University at Buffalo, $57,300
14. Hobart and William Smith Colleges, $56,700
14. University at Albany, $56,700
16. Ithaca College, $55,600
17. D’Youville College, $53,400
18. St. Lawrence University, $51,600
19. Skidmore College, $51,400
20. SUNY Geneseo, $51,300
21. Le Moyne College, $51,200
21. SUNY Polytechnic Institute, $51,200
23. St. Bonaventure University, $50,200
24. Hartwick College, $50,100
25. Canisius College, $49,800
26. St. John Fisher College, $49,700
27. Utica College, $47,400
28. Alfred University, $47,200
29. SUNY Cortland, $46,900
30. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, $46,700
31. Daemen College, $46,400
31. Elmira College, $46,400
33. Niagara University, $46,000
34. Nazareth College, $44,500
35. Roberts Wesleyan College, $44,400
35. SUNY College at Oneonta, $44,400
37. Empire State College, $44,000
37. Hilbert College, $44,000
39. Medaille College, $43,900
40. Keuka College, $43,800
41. College at Brockport, $43,200
41. SUNY Oswego, $43,200

Are you surprised by this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, on Facebook, or on Twitter.