Troy, New York Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Troy, New York shows: median public in-state tuition $26,761 (+385.5% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $80,184 (+47.6% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 46.8% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $18,625 (+38.7% vs U.S.) 13,586 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 4 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 13,586 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $26,761 (+385.5% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $80,184 (+47.6% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 46.8% (-41.1 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $22,917 (+129.9% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $18,625 (+38.7% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $13,000
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 69.9%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 84.3%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Troy, New York—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against New York and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Troy vs New York & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy, New York | $26,761 | $22,917 | $18,625 | 69.9% | 13,586 |
| New York (state median) | $7,340 | $9,373 | $15,215 | 56.3% | 800,389 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Troy, New York vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy, New York | $80,184 | 46.8% | 84.3% | 2.1% | — | 83.2% | 0.30 |
| New York (state median) | $60,386 | 42.9% | 81.6% | 4.0% | — | 75.8% | 0.35 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in New York (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy, New York | $26,761 | $22,917 | $18,625 | 69.9% | 13,586 | $80,184 | 46.8% |
| New York | $25,731 | $28,444 | $15,398 | 71.9% | 169,649 | $61,060 | 53.6% |
| Brooklyn | $12,340 | $12,072 | $11,000 | 48.1% | 56,245 | $46,498 | 38.3% |
| Bronx | $8,750 | $13,507 | $9,696 | 56.7% | 40,728 | $65,756 | 40.4% |
| Buffalo | $19,775 | $15,386 | $21,028 | 33.3% | 36,598 | $60,681 | 43.9% |
| Rochester | $38,826 | $17,264 | $21,274 | 71.3% | 33,739 | $66,944 | 45.3% |
| Rochester | $38,826 | $17,264 | $21,274 | 71.3% | 33,739 | $66,944 | 45.3% |
| Albany | $17,120 | $17,167 | $19,000 | 45.7% | 26,226 | $78,493 | 48.7% |
| Albany | $17,120 | $17,167 | $19,000 | 45.7% | 26,226 | $78,493 | 48.7% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 83.6%, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 56.1%, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 53.2%, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 40.5%, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 most selective colleges in Troy, New York (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 53.3%, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 63.5%, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $104,943, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $73,302, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $141,528, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $89,836, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $83,054, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $51,139, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $95,369, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $52,727, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $102,051, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $58,316, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $302,700, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $154,502, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Troy, New York (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $22,917, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $36,228, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Top 10 colleges in Troy, New York by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 90.7%, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 77.9%, Russell Sage College
Russell Sage College
In-state tuition: Troy, New York vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Troy, New York median in-state tuition is $26,761, +385.5% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Troy, New York vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Troy, New York is $18,625 (+38.7% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $13,000.
Median earnings (10 years out): Troy, New York vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Troy, New York center around $80,184 (+47.6% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Troy, New York vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 46.8% at the median Troy, New York campus (-41.1 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Troy, New York median public in-state tuition is $26,761, about +385.5% vs the national median. Versus the Mid East region, tuition is +262.5%.
Median graduate debt is $18,625 (+38.7% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Troy, New York are $80,184, about +47.6% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 46.8% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-41.1 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 84.3% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 2.1% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 83.2% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (53.2%), Russell Sage College (40.5%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Troy, New York is 69.9% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Troy?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 4 campuses in Troy, New York with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Troy?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Troy is $26,761 and median net price is $22,917. For New York overall, medians are $7,340 and $9,373; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Troy?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Troy is $80,184 vs $60,386 for New York and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Troy colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Troy is $18,625 vs $15,215 for New York and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Troy?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (graduation) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Troy?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 4 College Scorecard campuses in Troy, New York, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, and none meet our 25% Hispanic-enrollment HSI proxy or report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
Sources & related
- New York college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON