UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Computer Programming worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 22 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$58,693 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$58,693Median year-4 earnings
$10,875Average institution net-price context
$14,250Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$58,693Typical earnings four years after completion
$61,257Average earnings five years after completion
$14,250Typical federal student debt
67thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
794Degrees awarded in 2024–25
20College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 17 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Computer Programming
How much do Computer Programming undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $58,693 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $14,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Computer Programming?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $45,751 to $69,038 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Computer Programming?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 7 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,693
- Federal debt
- $14,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 22
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,646
- Federal debt
- $17,108
- Programs in the comparison
- 57
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $78,404
- Federal debt
- $31,050
- Programs in the comparison
- 33
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $158,509
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,638
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$45,751National median$58,69375th percentile$69,038
20 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Champlain College
$101,091 four years after completionBurlington, VT · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtCollege of DuPage
$7,812 among completer borrowersGlen Ellyn, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classAustin Community College District
166 reported awards in 2024–25Austin, TX · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$87,336Observed year-4 earnings$42,751
Champlain College$35,860 price · $101,091 earningsCollege of DuPage$7,401 price · $87,336 earningsWeber State University$10,258 price · $79,340 earningsUniversity of Phoenix-Arizona$13,520 price · $71,953 earningsNorthcentral Technical College$10,303 price · $69,038 earningsPortland Community College$10,405 price · $66,990 earningsHillsborough College$3,861 price · $66,521 earningsBunker Hill Community College$7,818 price · $61,270 earningsDallas College$3,214 price · $58,181 earningsMassasoit Community College$8,460 price · $56,341 earningsFVI School of Nursing and Technology$35,514 price · $54,867 earningsNorth Idaho College$10,575 price · $53,957 earningsOzarks Technical Community College$6,936 price · $51,849 earningsAmarillo College$4,600 price · $45,751 earningsRenton Technical College$8,296 price · $42,751 earnings
$3,214Annual college-wide average net price$35,514
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
19 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 19 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Champlain College$101,0912College of DuPage$87,3363Weber State University$79,3404University of Phoenix-Arizona$71,9535Northcentral Technical College$69,0386Portland Community College$66,9907Hillsborough College$66,5218Bunker Hill Community College$61,2709Atlanta Technical College$59,20410Dallas College$58,181Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-9%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Computer Programmers$100,390 median wage92,230 jobs nationwide-7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$57,710–$160,460 typical wage rangeSoftware Developers$135,980 median wage1,687,890 jobs nationwide+10.2% projected growth through 2035 · 95,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$82,460–$214,670 typical wage rangeSoftware Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$104,300 median wage186,740 jobs nationwide+5.7% projected growth through 2035 · 10,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$61,440–$167,010 typical wage rangeWeb and Digital Interface Designers$104,000 median wage113,330 jobs nationwide+6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 8,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,750–$201,550 typical wage rangeComputer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$96,980 median wage35,480 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 3,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,460–$170,200 typical wage rangeWeb Developers$92,650 median wage70,190 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 5,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,100–$162,290 typical wage rangeComputer Network Support Specialists$76,220 median wage146,190 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,120–$127,780 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.