Computer Science
Computer & Information Sciences
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | $64,047 | $51,030 to $74,028 | 23 | 91% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,166 | $84,113 to $115,434 | 358 | 100% |
| Master's Degree | $148,463 | $127,022 to $174,359 | 55 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +6% (2025 to 2035), about 262,400 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | 95,300 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | +15.8% | 53,500 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $116,580 | +5.1% | 27,000 |
| Data Scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | 24,800 |
| Information Security Analysts | $129,180 | +21% | 14,100 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | $104,300 | +5.7% | 10,700 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a computer science program, of 962 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- University of Southern California
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- University of Central Missouri
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- University of California-San Diego
- University of California-Berkeley
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.