Head-to-head comparison
SUNY Adirondack vs American Musical and Dramatic Academy: which has better ROI?
Option A Queensbury, NY
SUNY Adirondack
- Net price / year
- $10,389
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,267
- Payback
- No payback
Option B New York, NY
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
- Net price / year
- $41,416
- Earnings, 10 years
- $26,975
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but SUNY Adirondack comes closer — median earnings $41,267 against a $20,778 total, vs $26,975 at American Musical and Dramatic Academy. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | SUNY Adirondack | American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $10,389 | $41,416 |
| Total net cost | $20,778 | $165,664 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,267 | $26,975 |
| Median debt | $14,345 | $15,250 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$162,638 | -$593,364 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, SUNY Adirondack or American Musical and Dramatic Academy?
SUNY Adirondack, at $10,389 a year after aid versus $41,416 — a gap of $31,027 a year, or $144,886 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do SUNY Adirondack or American Musical and Dramatic Academy graduates earn more?
SUNY Adirondack graduates report a median $41,267 ten years after entry, $14,292 more than the $26,975 at American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, SUNY Adirondack or American Musical and Dramatic Academy?
SUNY Adirondack: its completers carry a median $14,345 in federal loans versus $15,250 at American Musical and Dramatic Academy, a difference of $905. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
72% of students finish at American Musical and Dramatic Academy, against 37% at SUNY Adirondack. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.