Computer Science: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 373 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Strong payoff
+$278,444 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.
4.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
+107%Modeled 10-year ROI
$98,882Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$98,882Median reported earnings · year 4
$111,692Average reported earnings · year 5
$23,623Median federal debt
93thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
373Reporting programs
354With 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$87,099National median$98,88275th percentile$115,541
354 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Carnegie Mellon University$268,1212Massachusetts Institute of Technology$225,1413Cornell University$223,3094Princeton University$217,9735Pomona College$217,0516Stanford University$214,9077Brown University$214,4798Williams College$209,5749University of California, Berkeley$204,37910Harvard University$203,169Observed 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 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $268,121 | $21,442 | +625% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $225,141 | $12,000 | +592% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $223,309 | $14,698 | +505% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Princeton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Princeton, NJ | $217,973 | Not available | +746% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Pomona CollegeBachelor's Degree | Claremont, CA | $217,051 | Not available | +569% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Stanford UniversityBachelor's Degree | Stanford, CA | $214,907 | $10,399 | +622% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Brown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $214,479 | $11,500 | +504% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Williams CollegeBachelor's Degree | Williamstown, MA | $209,574 | $12,208 | +556% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $204,379 | $13,900 | +581% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | Harvard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $203,169 | Not available | +517% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Dartmouth CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hanover, NH | $201,702 | $18,490 | +426% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | California Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Pasadena, CA | $200,511 | Not available | +537% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Harvey Mudd CollegeBachelor's Degree | Claremont, CA | $198,257 | $22,949 | +373% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $195,809 | $13,500 | +405% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $192,897 | $20,178 | +376% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $188,265 | $20,397 | +438% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $181,981 | $20,500 | +477% | Strong payoff |
| 18 | University of ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $178,068 | Not available | +456% | Strong payoff |
| 19 | Washington University in St LouisBachelor's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $177,066 | $15,500 | +394% | Strong payoff |
| 20 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $175,616 | $16,118 | +453% | Strong payoff |
| 21 | University of Washington-Bothell CampusBachelor's Degree | Bothell, WA | $175,616 | $16,118 | +470% | Strong payoff |
| 22 | Colgate UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hamilton, NY | $161,980 | $16,000 | +296% | Strong payoff |
| 23 | Vanderbilt UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $160,021 | $14,500 | +373% | Strong payoff |
| 24 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $159,541 | $15,250 | +324% | Strong payoff |
| 25 | University of California, San DiegoBachelor's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $159,487 | $16,550 | +398% | Strong payoff |
| 26 | Tufts UniversityBachelor's Degree | Medford, MA | $156,343 | $15,500 | +227% | Strong payoff |
| 27 | University of RochesterBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $155,464 | $19,000 | +272% | Strong payoff |
| 28 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $155,106 | $14,600 | +271% | Strong payoff |
| 29 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $154,784 | $19,298 | +345% | Strong payoff |
| 30 | George Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $150,716 | $19,500 | +224% | Strong payoff |
| 31 | University of San FranciscoBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $150,341 | $22,792 | +205% | Strong payoff |
| 32 | University of San DiegoBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $149,847 | $19,719 | +248% | Strong payoff |
| 33 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $149,190 | $11,000 | +326% | Strong payoff |
| 34 | University of the PacificBachelor's Degree | Stockton, CA | $147,511 | $23,000 | +264% | Strong payoff |
| 35 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $146,685 | $19,375 | +327% | Strong payoff |
| 36 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $143,900 | $16,007 | +188% | Strong payoff |
| 37 | Case Western Reserve UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, OH | $143,580 | $25,391 | +186% | Strong payoff |
| 38 | Boston CollegeBachelor's Degree | Chestnut Hill, MA | $143,204 | $19,000 | +183% | Strong payoff |
| 39 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $142,800 | $12,000 | +304% | Strong payoff |
| 40 | Amherst CollegeBachelor's Degree | Amherst, MA | $142,680 | $16,750 | +257% | Strong payoff |
| 41 | Lehigh UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bethlehem, PA | $141,691 | $23,854 | +195% | Strong payoff |
| 42 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Troy, NY | $141,528 | $23,250 | +197% | Strong payoff |
| 43 | Stevens Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Hoboken, NJ | $138,468 | $27,000 | +171% | Strong payoff |
| 44 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | $137,931 | $20,000 | +283% | Strong payoff |
| 45 | Bowdoin CollegeBachelor's Degree | Brunswick, ME | $137,611 | Not available | +290% | Strong payoff |
| 46 | University of UtahBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $137,329 | $19,947 | +277% | Strong payoff |
| 47 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $137,047 | $14,131 | +306% | Strong payoff |
| 48 | Boston UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $136,667 | $23,250 | +230% | Strong payoff |
| 49 | Rochester Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $135,702 | $27,000 | +184% | Strong payoff |
| 50 | Worcester Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $134,208 | $27,000 | +153% | Strong payoff |
| 51 | Seattle Pacific UniversityBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $133,039 | $18,908 | +217% | Strong payoff |
| 52 | Middlebury CollegeBachelor's Degree | Middlebury, VT | $128,471 | $13,500 | +173% | Strong payoff |
| 53 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $128,411 | $27,000 | +142% | Strong payoff |
| 54 | Seattle UniversityBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $128,314 | $24,980 | +161% | Strong payoff |
| 55 | William & MaryBachelor's Degree | Williamsburg, VA | $127,851 | $19,794 | +223% | Strong payoff |
| 56 | California State University, ChicoBachelor's Degree | Chico, CA | $127,498 | $20,000 | +247% | Strong payoff |
| 57 | University of California, IrvineBachelor's Degree | Irvine, CA | $127,404 | $15,500 | +248% | Strong payoff |
| 58 | Colorado School of MinesBachelor's Degree | Golden, CO | $127,217 | $23,000 | +179% | Strong payoff |
| 59 | Southern Methodist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | $126,590 | $26,000 | +137% | Strong payoff |
| 60 | Binghamton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Vestal, NY | $126,183 | $19,500 | +205% | Strong payoff |
| 61 | University of PortlandBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | $125,929 | $22,590 | +176% | Strong payoff |
| 62 | Loyola University MarylandBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $124,858 | $27,000 | +164% | Strong payoff |
| 63 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $124,283 | $20,187 | +199% | Strong payoff |
| 64 | Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Terre Haute, IN | $123,753 | $24,500 | +125% | Strong payoff |
| 65 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstBachelor's Degree | Amherst, MA | $123,519 | $23,569 | +191% | Strong payoff |
| 66 | Brandeis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $123,460 | $26,142 | +143% | Strong payoff |
| 67 | University of California, Santa CruzBachelor's Degree | Santa Cruz, CA | $123,422 | $16,666 | +212% | Strong payoff |
| 68 | St Olaf CollegeBachelor's Degree | Northfield, MN | $122,912 | $23,875 | +183% | Strong payoff |
| 69 | University of DenverBachelor's Degree | Denver, CO | $121,993 | $22,000 | +137% | Strong payoff |
| 70 | University of Colorado BoulderBachelor's Degree | Boulder, CO | $121,952 | $19,974 | +173% | Strong payoff |
| 71 | Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $121,671 | $25,000 | +142% | Strong payoff |
| 72 | University of MiamiBachelor's Degree | Coral Gables, FL | $121,589 | $18,830 | +133% | Strong payoff |
| 73 | Gonzaga UniversityBachelor's Degree | Spokane, WA | $121,512 | $27,000 | +139% | Strong payoff |
| 74 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $121,405 | $26,000 | +196% | Strong payoff |
| 75 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $121,405 | $26,000 | +203% | Strong payoff |
| 76 | Illinois Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $120,953 | $23,250 | +199% | Strong payoff |
| 77 | University of Illinois ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $120,470 | $19,087 | +237% | Strong payoff |
| 78 | DePauw UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greencastle, IN | $120,076 | $26,500 | +179% | Strong payoff |
| 79 | Mount Holyoke CollegeBachelor's Degree | South Hadley, MA | $120,021 | $21,500 | +163% | Strong payoff |
| 80 | California State University, East BayBachelor's Degree | Hayward, CA | $119,900 | $15,000 | +245% | Strong payoff |
| 81 | Washington State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pullman, WA | $119,686 | $22,453 | +211% | Strong payoff |
| 82 | Tulane University of LouisianaBachelor's Degree | New Orleans, LA | $118,931 | $19,000 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 83 | Brigham Young University-IdahoBachelor's Degree | Rexburg, ID | $117,895 | $7,821 | +242% | Strong payoff |
| 84 | Pace UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $117,835 | $20,750 | +140% | Strong payoff |
| 85 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $117,705 | $19,083 | +206% | Strong payoff |
| 86 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $117,451 | $23,000 | +194% | Strong payoff |
| 87 | American UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $117,293 | Not available | +108% | Strong payoff |
| 88 | CUNY City CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $116,238 | $8,623 | +265% | Strong payoff |
| 89 | Clark UniversityBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $115,804 | Not available | +140% | Strong payoff |
| 90 | Utah Valley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orem, UT | $115,541 | $24,725 | +243% | Strong payoff |
| 91 | Wake Forest UniversityBachelor's Degree | Winston-Salem, NC | $115,493 | $20,674 | +139% | Strong payoff |
| 92 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manchester, NH | $115,259 | $32,614 | +115% | Strong payoff |
| 93 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $114,868 | $19,500 | +191% | Strong payoff |
| 94 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $114,868 | $19,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 95 | Gettysburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | Gettysburg, PA | $114,433 | $27,000 | +127% | Strong payoff |
| 96 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $114,199 | $20,417 | +182% | Strong payoff |
| 97 | Merrimack CollegeBachelor's Degree | North Andover, MA | $114,115 | Not available | +108% | Strong payoff |
| 98 | Regis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Denver, CO | $114,098 | $30,389 | +172% | Strong payoff |
| 99 | Portland State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | $113,889 | $31,000 | +216% | Strong payoff |
| 100 | Drexel UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $113,610 | $29,333 | +105% | Strong payoff |
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.