At a glance
“The data makes it clear, choosing Alfred State is a smart and strategic investment. A top-tier 10-year ROI shows how quickly our graduates see the payoff from their education. With high-demand programs and employers eager to hire even before graduation, our students launch great-paying careers without the burden of overwhelming debt."
Kishan Zuber
Alfred State College (ASC) is once again leading the pack for public colleges and universities in Western New York, according to recent data from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.
Alfred State is No. 1 among all public schools in WNY for money earned in the first ten years of a career versus how much was invested. The report titled “Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI, 2025” shows that the average return on investment (ROI) for an ASC student is $280,000 over 10 years.
“The data makes it clear, choosing Alfred State is a smart and strategic investment,” stated Kishan Zuber, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Alfred State. “A top-tier 10-year ROI shows how quickly our graduates see the payoff from their education. With high-demand programs and employers eager to hire even before graduation, our students launch great-paying careers without the burden of overwhelming debt. That’s the power of an Alfred State degree, and why we proudly call them our Pioneer PROS.”
The study tracks every student who enrolls, whether they graduate or not. Georgetown researchers also found that over 40 years, those who attended Alfred State earned $1.863 million for an impressive ROI payoff from a long and successful professional work life. The study tracked some of the best-paying careers nationally and found them in STEM fields, healthcare, and business, mirroring many of the majors offered at Alfred State College.
“It helps when you don’t rack up a big college bill. ASC is so affordable, we call it Free Tuition Plus, since 78 percent of our incoming full-time New York State students are eligible to have their tuition costs completely covered by federal and state aid,” said Julie Rose, Senior Director of Student Records and Financial Services at Alfred State. “The plus comes from an abundance of generous scholarship awards. Our financial aid team works hard to help every student find all the scholarships and aid to which they’re entitled.”
To monitor career success, colleges poll graduates after commencement to measure post-graduation outcomes. Alfred State reports a nearly perfect rate with 99 percent of 2024 graduates employed or continuing their education.
Alfred State leaders emphasize that parents and students need to carefully evaluate the quality of a school, not just the price tag. Their advice: Choose a college or university that provides a high-quality education where students learn the right professional skills to launch a successful career.
In the Georgetown report, five NYS private schools show a negative ROI, meaning that those students’ total earnings over 10 years still did not cover the average net price for attending their college.
“People are clearly looking more at ROI as the continued public perception and distrust of postsecondary is taking hold,” said Jeff Strohl, Director of the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. “Tools like this get us straight to the punch to show people where value lies.”
The Georgetown research database is available online at cew.georgetown.edu/roi2025.
