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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Computer Programming worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 57 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff

+$33,937 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

7.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+30%Estimated return after 10 years
$59,646Observed earnings · year 4
$28,230Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark is $16,969 per year below this threshold.

Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$59,646 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$59,646Typical earnings four years after completion
$58,107Average earnings five years after completion
$17,108Typical federal student debt
72thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
17Degrees awarded in 2024–25
55College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Computer Programming

How much do Computer Programming associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $59,646 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $17,108. 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 $47,886 to $68,046 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.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$58,693
Federal debt
$14,250
Programs in the comparison
22
20 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$59,646
Federal debt
$17,108
Programs in the comparison
57
55 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$78,404
Federal debt
$31,050
Programs in the comparison
33
32 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$158,509
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$52,638
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$47,886National median$59,64675th percentile$68,046
55 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$68,04675th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$17,108Median federal debt across programs that report it
7Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

Minneapolis Community and Technical College

$87,708 four years after completionMinneapolis, MN · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Community College of Rhode Island

$11,000 among completer borrowersWarwick, RI · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Columbus State Community College

90 reported awards in 2024–25Columbus, OH · 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.

$86,187Observed year-4 earnings$59,102
$3,214Annual college-wide average net price$18,795
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Minneapolis Community and Technical College$87,7082Cincinnati State Technical and Community College$86,9103Indian Hills Community College$86,1874Seminole State College of Florida$79,8785Missouri Southern State University$79,0236Fox Valley Technical College$77,4817Waukesha County Technical College$77,2678St Petersburg College$76,6839Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City$73,17210Lake Washington Institute of Technology$71,717

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

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

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.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Associate's Degree

Computer and Information Sciences, General

Year-4 earnings
$54,238
Federal debt
$14,440
142 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management

Year-4 earnings
$56,486
Federal debt
$21,480
135 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

Year-4 earnings
$55,935
Federal debt
$21,874
103 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Computer Software and Media Applications

Year-4 earnings
$38,361
Federal debt
$17,937
46 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

OH12 programs$55,172 average earningsFL6 programs$63,696 average earningsMO5 programs$65,326 average earnings

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.