Computer Science: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 309 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Computer Science pays
Career outlook for Computer Science graduates
The job market for the occupations Computer Science graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | 1,693,800 | +15.8% | $133,080 | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and information systems managers | 667,100 | +15.2% | $171,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer occupations, all other | 472,000 | +8.2% | $108,970 | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | 245,900 | +33.5% | $112,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | 201,700 | +10.0% | $102,610 | Bachelor's degree |
| Information security analysts | 182,800 | +28.5% | $124,910 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Computer Science vs similar majors
How Computer Science stacks up against the closest fields in Computer & Information Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Computer Science Computer & Information Sciences · this major | Information Science/Studies | Computer and Information Sciences, General | Computer Systems Analysis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 91 A | 86 A | 87 A | 80 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $112,491 | $90,493 | $85,293 | $84,199 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $78,962 | $65,420 | $63,699 | $59,806 |
| ROI vs cost | +743% | +441% | +399% | +362% |
| Typical debt | $22,058 | $33,157 | $23,998 | $35,459 |
| Colleges offering it | 309 | 220 | 579 | 34 |
Computer Science earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Computer Science
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $105,797 | — | +7,951% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Associate's | $110,465 | $9,553 | +6,828% | Strong return |
| 3 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Associate's | $247,797 | $10,399 | +6,358% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Associate's | $227,147 | — | +6,029% | Strong return |
| 5 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Associate's | $113,582 | $10,301 | +5,548% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $225,140 | $13,750 | +5,534% | Strong return |
| 7 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Certificate | $331,747 | — | +5,092% | Strong return |
| 8 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Associate's | $177,788 | — | +4,511% | Strong return |
| 9 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $219,550 | — | +4,478% | Strong return |
| 10 | City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Certificate | $75,119 | — | +4,261% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Certificate | $301,159 | $25,903 | +4,218% | Strong return |
| 12 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Associate's | $89,305 | $10,985 | +4,202% | Strong return |
| 13 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $100,735 | $14,429 | +4,125% | Strong return |
| 14 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | Associate's | $160,714 | — | +4,105% | Strong return |
| 15 | Brown University Providence, RI | Associate's | $271,601 | $11,500 | +4,053% | Strong return |
| 16 | El Paso Community College El Paso, TX | Certificate | $58,105 | — | +3,988% | Strong return |
| 17 | Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID | Associate's | $123,710 | $7,806 | +3,981% | Strong return |
| 18 | Indiana University-Southeast New Albany, IN | Associate's | $107,483 | — | +3,861% | Strong return |
| 19 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $220,064 | $11,077 | +3,856% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA | Associate's | $162,117 | $15,351 | +3,774% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Associate's | $160,463 | $16,166 | +3,645% | Strong return |
| 22 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Associate's | $108,989 | $13,750 | +3,431% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Associate's | $170,405 | $18,983 | +3,420% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Associate's | $162,117 | $15,351 | +3,368% | Strong return |
| 25 | Weber State University Ogden, UT | Certificate | $96,985 | $13,166 | +3,353% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.