Computer Science: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 48 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$152,770 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$152,770Median year-4 earnings
$20,840Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$152,770Median reported earnings · year 4
$165,642Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
97thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
48Reporting programs
48With 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$132,798National median$152,77075th percentile$177,303
48 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Stanford University$255,6672Cornell University$235,7623California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$235,2414University of California, San Diego$231,3975Brown University$208,6556Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$200,0277Northwestern University$197,8238University of Southern California$188,8719Drexel University$188,55010Seattle University$185,607Observed 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. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford UniversityMaster's Degree | Stanford, CA | $255,667 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,807 |
| 2 | Cornell UniversityMaster's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $235,762 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,690 |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoMaster's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $235,241 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,665 |
| 4 | University of California, San DiegoMaster's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $231,397 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,470 |
| 5 | Brown UniversityMaster's Degree | Providence, RI | $208,655 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,184 |
| 6 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteMaster's Degree | Troy, NY | $200,027 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,228 |
| 7 | Northwestern UniversityMaster's Degree | Evanston, IL | $197,823 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,167 |
| 8 | University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $188,871 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,740 |
| 9 | Drexel UniversityMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $188,550 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,509 |
| 10 | Seattle UniversityMaster's Degree | Seattle, WA | $185,607 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,662 |
| 11 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMaster's Degree | Champaign, IL | $179,395 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,355 |
| 12 | California State University, NorthridgeMaster's Degree | Northridge, CA | $178,136 | Not available | Baseline needed | $7,021 |
| 13 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $177,303 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 14 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionMaster's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $177,303 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 15 | University of California, IrvineMaster's Degree | Irvine, CA | $175,922 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,251 |
| 16 | New York UniversityMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $172,796 | Not available | Baseline needed | $37,050 |
| 17 | Stevens Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree | Hoboken, NJ | $171,253 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,346 |
| 18 | University of ChicagoMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $169,765 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,860 |
| 19 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $169,689 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,116 |
| 20 | Washington University in St LouisMaster's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $167,975 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,786 |
| 21 | North Carolina State University at RaleighMaster's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $164,757 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,303 |
| 22 | Rochester Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree | Rochester, NY | $162,539 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,906 |
| 23 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstMaster's Degree | Amherst, MA | $154,099 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,383 |
| 24 | Boston UniversityMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $153,937 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,402 |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts-LowellMaster's Degree | Lowell, MA | $151,603 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,163 |
| 26 | Towson UniversityMaster's Degree | Towson, MD | $149,320 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,413 |
| 27 | University of Colorado BoulderMaster's Degree | Boulder, CO | $148,463 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,346 |
| 28 | Colorado School of MinesMaster's Degree | Golden, CO | $147,702 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,690 |
| 29 | University of PennsylvaniaMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $147,612 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,699 |
| 30 | Portland State UniversityMaster's Degree | Portland, OR | $145,715 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,552 |
| 31 | University of Illinois ChicagoMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $145,430 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,974 |
| 32 | Nova Southeastern UniversityMaster's Degree | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $142,461 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,371 |
| 33 | Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree | College Station, TX | $142,377 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,315 |
| 34 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaMaster's Degree | Pomona, CA | $141,744 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,531 |
| 35 | Maharishi International UniversityMaster's Degree | Fairfield, IA | $139,773 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,956 |
| 36 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleMaster's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $135,764 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,976 |
| 37 | National UniversityMaster's Degree | San Diego, CA | $132,798 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,878 |
| 38 | Illinois Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $131,511 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,425 |
| 39 | Brigham Young UniversityMaster's Degree | Provo, UT | $130,090 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,564 |
| 40 | Rowan UniversityMaster's Degree | Glassboro, NJ | $127,178 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,408 |
| 41 | Colorado Technical University-Colorado SpringsMaster's Degree | Colorado Springs, CO | $126,865 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,745 |
| 42 | California State University, FullertonMaster's Degree | Fullerton, CA | $126,439 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,555 |
| 43 | University of Illinois SpringfieldMaster's Degree | Springfield, IL | $126,156 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,833 |
| 44 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityMaster's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $122,747 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,846 |
| 45 | University of TulsaMaster's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $119,962 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,000 |
| 46 | Kennesaw State UniversityMaster's Degree | Kennesaw, GA | $117,931 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,048 |
| 47 | Pace UniversityMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $109,851 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,892 |
| 48 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteMaster's Degree | Charlotte, NC | $107,088 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,435 |
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.