Stony Brook Alumni Ranked High in Earning Potential

Stony Brook University ranked No. 23 among public universities nationwide in a survey of graduates' earning potential, according to PayScale.com's 2010 report.

The report lists the median entry-level salary for a Stony Brook grad at $49,200 and a mid-career salary at $90,800. It placed Stony Brook ahead of public universities such as University of California-Davis, Michigan State, and the University of Connecticut. The report also ranked SBU at No. 53 among all colleges in the Northeast region of the U.S., ahead of private schools like New York University, Boston University, Adelphi University and Hofstra University.

"This report exemplifies a solid return on investment as demonstrated by Stony Brook's highly affordable tuition compared to private schools, and other public schools," Stony Brook President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., said in a statement.

Harvey Mudd College, located in California, was No. 1 on the overall list with an entry-level median salary of $68,900. Princeton University ($58,900) and Dartmouth College ($54,100) were next on the list. SBU was No. 106 on the overall list.

The report was based on surveys of graduates who earned a Bachelor's degree at the University. PayScale.com surveyed 999 college campuses, of which 97 percent had enrollment of more than 5,000 undergraduate students.

On campus Tuesday, student reactions to the survey were mixed.

"It's an added bonus...It's known as a good school," said Kat Boniface, a junior majoring in history.

Alyse Yeargan, a sophomore English major, wasn't convinced that a Stony Brook degree would translate to higher earning potential.

"I think having a higher degree will help me," she said. "I don't necessarily know that the name will help me."

Amysue Hansen, a junior majoring in psychology, said the Stony Brook name does mean something in the job market.

"When you do graduate from here, especially in psychology, it does mean something," Hansen said.

Anand Chandran, a senior math major, thought the survey's results were positive, and that knowing graduates' earning potential would have helped him make the decision to come to SBU.

"I think it's because a lot of the professors are experts in their field," Chandran said of the survey results. "That really comes across in the classroom."

Sean Queller, a graduate student studying for his Master's in education, believes earning potential is all relative depending on one's major.

"I have multiple degrees so I don't know how that compares," he said. "To me, my earnings are kind of limited because school districts set the salaries for education."