Computer Science: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 33 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$82,327 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.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
5.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
+75%Modeled 10-year ROI
$64,221Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$64,221Median reported earnings · year 4
$66,552Average reported earnings · year 5
$12,458Median federal debt
80thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
33Reporting programs
31With year-4 earnings
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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $104,271
- Federal debt
- $17,917
- Reporting programs
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,221
- Federal debt
- $12,458
- Reporting programs
- 33
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $98,882
- Federal debt
- $23,623
- Reporting programs
- 373
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $152,770
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 48
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $165,750
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $118,536
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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$57,686National median$64,22175th percentile$66,795
31 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Weber State University$102,2592Diablo Valley College$88,4503Bunker Hill Community College$84,1384Northern Virginia Community College$83,5545Normandale Community College$80,5636CUNY LaGuardia Community College$74,0457North Hennepin Community College$74,0118Nassau Community College$72,7359University of Arkansas Grantham$66,79510CUNY Kingsborough Community College$64,980Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weber State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Ogden, UT | $102,259 | $15,254 | +418% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Diablo Valley CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pleasant Hill, CA | $88,450 | Not available | +308% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Bunker Hill Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Boston, MA | $84,138 | $9,000 | +270% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Northern Virginia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Annandale, VA | $83,554 | $13,000 | +251% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Normandale Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bloomington, MN | $80,563 | $15,708 | +207% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | CUNY LaGuardia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Long Island City, NY | $74,045 | $8,750 | +184% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | North Hennepin Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn Park, MN | $74,011 | $15,751 | +154% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Nassau Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Garden City, NY | $72,735 | $9,742 | +166% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | University of Arkansas GranthamAssociate's Degree | LIttle Rock, AR | $66,795 | $22,519 | +104% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | CUNY Kingsborough Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $64,980 | Not available | +97% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Connecticut State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | New Britain, CT | $64,221 | Not available | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Montgomery County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Blue Bell, PA | $64,047 | $11,000 | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Southern Maine Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | South Portland, ME | $63,690 | Not available | +67% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | Century CollegeAssociate's Degree | White Bear Lake, MN | $61,157 | Not available | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Lake Area Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Watertown, SD | $60,752 | $12,458 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | New York, NY | $57,686 | $10,500 | +27% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | South Hills School of Business & TechnologyAssociate's Degree | State College, PA | $51,162 | Not available | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | CUNY Bronx Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bronx, NY | $50,897 | Not available | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | El Paso Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | El Paso, TX | $49,388 | Not available | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | UCNJ Union College of Union County New JerseyAssociate's Degree | Cranford, NJ | $47,833 | Not available | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | CUNY Queensborough Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bayside, NY | $44,156 | Not available | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Full Sail UniversityAssociate's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $32,197 | Not available | -176% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | South Texas CollegeAssociate's Degree | McAllen, TX | $31,376 | Not available | -246% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Ivy Tech Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | Not available | $12,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $7,258 |
| 25 | Monroe Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rochester, NY | Not available | $11,625 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $6,353 |
| 26 | Connecticut State Community College HousatonicAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 27 | Manchester Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 28 | Naugatuck Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 29 | Middlesex Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 30 | Three Rivers Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 31 | Connecticut State Community College NorwalkAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 32 | Quinebaug Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 33 | Connecticut State Community College GatewayAssociate's Degree | , | $64,221 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
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.