BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Systems Science and Theory worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 7 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$48,134 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.
12.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−18%Estimated return after 10 years
$67,632Observed earnings · year 4
$11,580Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $12,034 per year to reach it.
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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$46,320
$8,000Annual price+$14,320
$16,000Annual price−$17,680
$24,000Current college-wide context−$49,680
$32,000Annual price−$81,680
$40,000Annual price−$113,680
Outcomes at a glance
$67,632Typical earnings four years after completion
$98,227Average earnings five years after completion
$23,250Typical federal student debt
58thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
6College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Systems Science and Theory
How much do Systems Science and Theory bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $67,632 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $23,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Systems Science and Theory?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $57,510 to $70,820 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Systems Science and Theory?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 2 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.
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$57,510National median$67,63275th percentile$70,820
6 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
Carnegie Mellon University
$146,929 four years after completionPittsburgh, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
$20,600 among completer borrowersChampaign, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classRhode Island School of Design
92 reported awards in 2024–25Providence, RI · 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.
$91,034Observed year-4 earnings$48,250
Carnegie Mellon University$31,944 price · $146,929 earningsJames Madison University$23,322 price · $91,034 earningsPennsylvania Western University$18,256 price · $70,820 earningsLa Salle University$19,409 price · $64,444 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $57,510 earningsMarshall University$7,502 price · $48,250 earnings
$7,502Annual college-wide average net price$23,322
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
7 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 7 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Carnegie Mellon University$146,9292James Madison University$91,0343Pennsylvania Western University$70,8204La Salle University$64,4445University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$57,5106Marshall University$48,2507Rhode Island School of DesignNot availableObserved 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 ↑
-7%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.
Managers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 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.