How much debt do Marist University accounting graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,250, which ranks 17th lowest of 44 accounting bachelor's programs in New York. That works out to about $246 a month over 10 years.

Is a accounting degree from Marist University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 33% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 45%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 20% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several New York programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Marist University Accounting (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Marist University accounting graduates stay in New York?

Most do. 86% (24 of 28) were working in New York one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Accounting and Related Services
Private nonprofit university
Poughkeepsie, NY
About 33 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Marist University accounting graduates earn more than graduates of most accounting programs nationally, $71,436 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,250 in federal loans, close to the national median of $24,958. It is one of the higher-paying accounting degrees in New York.

First-year earnings$71,43696th percentile of 636 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$90,23526% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,25017th lowest of 44 New York programs

Debt-to-earnings33%New York median 43%, national 45%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The New York and national columns are the medians across all accounting bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Marist University	New York	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$71,436	$51,525	$54,059
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$90,235	$73,340	$71,308
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,250	$24,971	$24,958
Debt as share of first-year pay	33%	43%	45%
Programs compared		45	636

Five years out, Marist University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $16,895 more than the New York median.

Debt and first-year pay at every New York accounting program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the New York medians.

Marist UniversityOther New York programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 26% between the first and fifth year.

Marist University grads, year 1$71,436

Marist University grads, year 5$90,235

All New York accounting grads, year 5$73,340

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $246 a month, or 4.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (55 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	40–59%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 20 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $42,952.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

86% of graduates (24 of 28) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the Kiryas Joel area are about 9% above the national average, so a $71,436 salary here buys what about $65,285 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to accounting, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Accountants and Auditors

$102,640

Median pay in New York. 109,830 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 115,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $63,700Top 10%: $171,030

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

$58,160

Median pay in New York. 84,280 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 144,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: some college, no degree.

Bottom 10%: $39,880Top 10%: $81,990

Financial Managers

$219,880

Median pay in New York. 80,810 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 65,600 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $124,670Top 10%: $370,780

Financial and Investment Analysts

$127,930

Median pay in New York. 52,380 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $77,540Top 10%: $225,380

About Marist University

Tuition and fees	$47,750 / year
Average net price after aid	$41,544 / year
Admission rate	57%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	80%
Undergraduate students	5,182

Accounting ranks 2nd of 16 bachelor's programs at Marist University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer and Information Science ($77,315), Accounting ($71,436), and Computer Science ($69,737).

Other accounting bachelor's programs near Poughkeepsie

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Marist UniversityPoughkeepsie, NY · private nonprofit		$71,436	$23,250
SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY · public	8 mi	$47,884	$23,410
Western Connecticut StateDanbury, CT · public	34 mi	$58,144	$25,375
Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ · public	46 mi	$66,615	$25,000
Post UniversityWaterbury, CT · private for-profit	46 mi	$59,213	$35,782
College of WestchesterWhite Plains, NY · private for-profit	48 mi	$45,798	$34,014
Mercy UniversityDobbs Ferry, NY · private nonprofit	48 mi	$41,493	$27,000
Sacred Heart UniversityFairfield, CT · private nonprofit	50 mi	$60,375	$27,000
Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT · private nonprofit	52 mi	$71,747	$26,633

Common questions

The median graduate earns $71,436 one year after graduating and $90,235 five years after. The median across accounting bachelor's programs in New York is $51,525.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of New York comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the accounting program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Accounting bachelor's programs in New York, ranked45 programs by pay and debt Accounting bachelor's programs in the US, ranked636 programs by pay and debt All Marist University programs, ranked17 programs by pay and debt