Home / Worth-It Scores / New York / Empire State
Is Empire State University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Empire State, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Empire State sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $54,080 helps, but median debt of $18,730 plus yearly net price of $11,676 creates a tighter path. For context, Empire State's net price is about 16% below the typical 4-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$11,065
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $2,090 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $8,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$11,676
Median earnings 10 years out
$54,080
Median debt at graduation
$18,730
Graduation rate
34%
At Empire State, a typical graduate carries about $18,730 in student debt and earns roughly $54,080 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $213 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $12,280 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
75% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Empire State is a public four year school in Saratoga Springs, NY. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
SUNY Buffalo State
Buffalo, NY
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $11,346
Public 4-year
SUNY Old Westbury
Old Westbury, NY
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $11,282
Public 4-year
Farmingdale State
Farmingdale, NY
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $10,867
Public 4-year
SUNY College at Potsdam
Potsdam, NY
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $13,624
Public 4-year
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $14,164
Common questions about Empire State
The median net price at Empire State is $11,676 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in New York? See the most affordable public universities in New York →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →