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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1107

Computer Science: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$104,271 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.

$104,271Median year-4 earnings

$22,866Average institution net-price context

$17,917Median federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$104,271Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

$17,917Median federal debt

98thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

2Reporting programs

2With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $104,271
Federal debt: $17,917
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $64,221
Federal debt: $12,458
Reporting programs: 33

31 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $98,882
Federal debt: $23,623
Reporting programs: 373

354 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $152,770
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 48

48 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $165,750
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $118,536
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 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$88,734National median$104,27175th percentile$88,734

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Saint Martin's University$119,807 2Missouri State University-Springfield$88,734

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Computer Network Support SpecialistsSOC 15-1231 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer Occupations, All OtherSOC 15-1299 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer ProgrammersSOC 15-1251 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer and Information Research ScientistsSOC 15-1221 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer and Information Systems ManagersSOC 11-3021 · 1 crosswalk linksData ScientistsSOC 15-2051 · 1 crosswalk linksDatabase ArchitectsSOC 15-1243 · 1 crosswalk linksInformation Security AnalystsSOC 15-1212 · 1 crosswalk linksSoftware DevelopersSOC 15-1252 · 1 crosswalk linksSoftware Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersSOC 15-1253 · 1 crosswalk linksWeb DevelopersSOC 15-1254 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Saint Martin's UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Lacey, WA	$119,807	$14,667	Baseline needed	$28,119
2	Missouri State University-SpringfieldUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Springfield, MO	$88,734	$21,166	Baseline needed	$17,613

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.