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Computer Science Degree

345 schools compared · Average earnings $73,714/yr

Students study algorithms, data structures, software engineering, artificial intelligence, operating systems, and the mathematical foundations of computation. Graduates typically pursue careers as software engineers, machine learning engineers, systems architects, and research scientists at top technology companies. Computer science is one of the highest-paying undergraduate degrees, with median starting salaries well above the national average.

What Computer Science Graduates Do

Your career will likely begin with you deep in the code. As a junior software developer, you’ll spend your days writing and debugging functions, collaborating with your team on new features, and participating in daily stand-up meetings. Alternatively, you could jump into a high-growth specialty like data science, where you’ll clean messy datasets to build predictive models, or information security, where you’ll hunt for network vulnerabilities and respond to cyber threats.

Over time, your focus will shift from executing tasks to designing solutions. You’ll progress from a junior developer to a senior engineer, a technical lead, and perhaps eventually an IT manager responsible for budgets and strategy.

Be prepared for significant disruption from AI. With high exposure in core roles like software development and QA, AI is automating many tasks previously assigned to junior staff. This is shrinking the number of entry-level positions and raising the bar for new graduates. Your future value won’t be in simply writing code, but in architecting complex systems, evaluating AI output, and making the critical judgments that algorithms can’t.

Schools Offering

345

Avg Grad Earnings

$73,714/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

75/100

AI Automation Risk

Very High

61% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Computer Science graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 295,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Computer and information systems managers	$171,200 $134K$216K	55,600	+15.2%	53%
Computer and information research scientists	$140,910 $103K$181K	3,200	+19.7%	63%
Database architects	$135,980 $108K$169K	4,000	+8.7%	94%
Software developers	$133,080 $103K$169K	115,200	+15.8%	87%
Information security analysts	$124,910 $92K$160K	16,000	+28.5%	65%
Data scientists	$112,590 $83K$156K	23,400	+33.5%	64%
Computer occupations, all other	$108,970 $76K$148K	31,300	+8.2%	57%
Software quality assurance analysts and testers	$102,610 $80K$132K	14,000	+10.0%	88%
Computer programmers	$98,670 $72K$129K	5,500	-6.0%	95%
Web and digital interface designers	$98,090 $65K$142K	9,100	+7.0%	67%
Computer science teachers, postsecondary	$96,690 $65K$132K	3,500	+5.3%	51%
Web developers	$90,930 $63K$124K	5,400	+7.5%	93%
Computer network support specialists	$73,340 $57K$96K	9,600	+1.8%	63%

Computer and information systems managers

$171,200

$134K $216K

55,600 openings/yr +15.2% growth 53% AI risk

Computer and information research scientists

$140,910

$103K $181K

3,200 openings/yr +19.7% growth 63% AI risk

Database architects

$135,980

$108K $169K

4,000 openings/yr +8.7% growth 94% AI risk

Software developers

$133,080

$103K $169K

115,200 openings/yr +15.8% growth 87% AI risk

Information security analysts

$124,910

$92K $160K

16,000 openings/yr +28.5% growth 65% AI risk

Data scientists

$112,590

$83K $156K

23,400 openings/yr +33.5% growth 64% AI risk

Computer occupations, all other

$108,970

$76K $148K

31,300 openings/yr +8.2% growth 57% AI risk

Software quality assurance analysts and testers

$102,610

$80K $132K

14,000 openings/yr +10.0% growth 88% AI risk

Computer programmers

$98,670

$72K $129K

5,500 openings/yr -6.0% growth 95% AI risk

Web and digital interface designers

$98,090

$65K $142K

9,100 openings/yr +7.0% growth 67% AI risk

Computer science teachers, postsecondary

$96,690

$65K $132K

3,500 openings/yr +5.3% growth 51% AI risk

Web developers

$90,930

$63K $124K

5,400 openings/yr +7.5% growth 93% AI risk

Computer network support specialists

$73,340

$57K $96K

9,600 openings/yr +1.8% growth 63% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Computer Science

Top 20 of 345 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	90 85–92	$149,866/yr	36.9x
2	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	90 85–91	$128,887/yr	31.1x
3	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA	90 85–91	$128,887/yr	31.3x
4	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	90 84–91	$124,530/yr	25.6x
5	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA	90 84–91	$112,006/yr	25.3x
6	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	90 83–91	$94,786/yr	36.4x
7	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	90 83–91	$90,625/yr	47.1x
8	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	90 83–91	$90,293/yr	33.8x
9	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	90 82–91	$90,282/yr	30.2x
10	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	89 83–91	$107,776/yr	23.3x
11	West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX	89 82–91	$88,391/yr	29.5x
12	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	89 82–90	$85,809/yr	30.3x
13	Boise State University Boise, ID	89 82–91	$85,596/yr	32.5x
14	CUNY City College New York, NY	89 82–90	$83,258/yr	35.0x
15	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	89 82–90	$82,329/yr	32.0x
16	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	89 82–90	$81,021/yr	37.8x
17	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	89 82–90	$78,610/yr	34.1x
18	Utah Valley University Orem, UT	89 82–90	$77,946/yr	45.4x
19	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID	89 82–90	$77,316/yr	65.4x
20	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	88 80–89	$88,554/yr	18.0x
21	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	88 81–89	$86,040/yr	20.2x
22	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR	88 80–89	$85,376/yr	19.4x
23	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR	88 81–89	$85,376/yr	20.8x
24	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	88 81–89	$84,759/yr	22.0x
25	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	88 81–89	$84,632/yr	20.0x
26	University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	88 80–89	$83,684/yr	20.1x
27	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	88 81–90	$82,161/yr	22.3x
28	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	88 80–89	$80,686/yr	21.7x
29	Portland State University Portland, OR	88 81–90	$78,669/yr	27.0x
30	Iowa State University Ames, IA	88 81–89	$78,517/yr	24.9x
31	University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	88 81–89	$77,761/yr	26.7x
32	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	88 81–90	$76,747/yr	36.4x
33	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	88 81–89	$74,523/yr	33.5x
34	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA	87 80–89	$86,167/yr	18.2x
35	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC	87 79–88	$81,174/yr	29.2x
36	University of Georgia Athens, GA	87 80–88	$79,546/yr	21.5x
37	Washington State University Pullman, WA	87 80–88	$79,519/yr	19.9x
38	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	87 80–88	$78,040/yr	19.3x
39	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	87 80–89	$77,909/yr	22.3x
40	Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA	87 80–88	$76,971/yr	25.4x
41	Franklin University Columbus, OH	87 80–89	$76,264/yr	25.2x
42	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	87 79–88	$75,150/yr	19.8x
43	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	87 80–88	$74,815/yr	22.3x
44	University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE	87 80–89	$73,971/yr	29.7x
45	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	87 80–88	$73,932/yr	36.8x
46	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	87 80–88	$73,932/yr	36.8x
47	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	87 80–88	$73,932/yr	36.8x
48	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	87 80–88	$73,932/yr	36.8x
49	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	87 80–88	$73,932/yr	36.8x
50	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	87 80–88	$73,874/yr	24.9x
51	Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN	87 80–88	$72,865/yr	24.5x
52	Indiana University-Southeast New Albany, IN	87 80–89	$72,634/yr	31.9x
53	Weber State University Ogden, UT	87 80–89	$72,486/yr	38.8x
54	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	87 80–88	$72,283/yr	24.6x
55	Towson University Towson, MD	87 80–88	$71,795/yr	23.5x
56	University of Idaho Moscow, ID	87 80–88	$70,276/yr	31.1x
57	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	87 80–88	$68,763/yr	45.0x
58	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	87 80–88	$66,918/yr	38.0x
59	Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA	87 80–88	$66,481/yr	44.0x
60	Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO	86 79–87	$86,268/yr	15.1x
61	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	86 79–87	$82,861/yr	15.9x
62	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	86 79–88	$79,605/yr	17.3x
63	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	86 79–88	$79,605/yr	17.3x
64	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	86 79–88	$79,605/yr	17.3x
65	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	86 79–88	$79,605/yr	17.3x
66	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	86 79–87	$77,385/yr	17.6x
67	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	86 79–87	$76,106/yr	18.9x
68	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	86 79–88	$74,159/yr	23.8x
69	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY	86 79–87	$71,664/yr	29.8x
70	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	86 80–88	$70,906/yr	23.7x
71	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	86 80–88	$68,675/yr	33.0x
72	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	86 79–87	$67,781/yr	33.5x
73	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	86 79–87	$67,704/yr	31.4x
74	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	86 79–87	$66,977/yr	32.6x
75	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	86 79–87	$66,803/yr	30.0x
76	University of Arkansas Grantham LIttle Rock, AR	86 79–87	$66,795/yr	29.6x
77	CUNY Queens College Queens, NY	86 79–87	$63,632/yr	36.7x
78	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	86 79–87	$62,821/yr	39.1x
79	William & Mary Williamsburg, VA	85 78–86	$84,956/yr	13.5x
80	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	85 78–86	$79,605/yr	14.7x
81	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA	85 78–87	$77,599/yr	16.9x
82	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	85 78–86	$74,135/yr	17.1x
83	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	85 78–87	$73,795/yr	21.6x
84	University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL	85 78–86	$72,657/yr	18.7x
85	California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA	85 79–87	$71,458/yr	28.1x
86	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	85 78–86	$70,053/yr	19.1x
87	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	85 78–86	$65,960/yr	24.1x
88	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	85 78–86	$65,958/yr	29.3x
89	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN	85 78–86	$63,287/yr	25.2x
90	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	85 78–86	$60,740/yr	35.1x
91	California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	85 78–86	$60,645/yr	34.6x
92	California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA	85 78–86	$60,371/yr	38.6x
93	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	85 78–86	$60,028/yr	34.5x
94	California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA	85 78–86	$59,374/yr	43.0x
95	National University San Diego, CA	84 76–85	$87,383/yr	14.8x
96	Illinois State University Normal, IL	84 77–86	$81,363/yr	14.5x
97	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	84 77–85	$73,932/yr	16.0x
98	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO	84 77–85	$72,810/yr	17.0x
99	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	84 77–85	$70,193/yr	17.9x
100	University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO	84 77–85	$69,239/yr	19.2x
101	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO	84 77–85	$67,040/yr	22.0x
102	Radford University Radford, VA	84 77–85	$66,857/yr	18.5x
103	Winona State University Winona, MN	84 77–85	$65,817/yr	20.5x
104	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	84 77–85	$64,949/yr	24.5x
105	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	84 77–85	$64,854/yr	24.3x
106	Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN	84 77–85	$63,180/yr	22.0x
107	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	84 77–85	$60,378/yr	32.2x
108	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	84 77–85	$57,307/yr	37.5x
109	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	83 76–85	$77,257/yr	15.9x
110	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	83 76–84	$73,224/yr	15.5x
111	University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA	83 76–84	$69,204/yr	20.8x
112	Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	83 76–84	$67,531/yr	17.7x
113	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	83 77–85	$67,181/yr	20.1x
114	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA	83 76–85	$62,452/yr	21.5x
115	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY	83 76–85	$59,516/yr	29.1x
116	Brown University Providence, RI	82 76–83	$151,065/yr	9.0x
117	Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA	82 75–83	$72,128/yr	13.4x
118	Jackson State University Jackson, MS	82 75–83	$70,347/yr	19.7x
119	Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI	82 75–83	$69,910/yr	13.5x
120	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND	82 75–83	$60,426/yr	19.4x
121	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	82 75–83	$60,051/yr	18.1x
122	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	82 75–83	$59,567/yr	20.8x
123	Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA	82 75–83	$57,961/yr	24.3x
124	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	82 75–83	$57,653/yr	22.3x
125	Indiana University-South Bend South Bend, IN	82 75–83	$53,743/yr	27.0x
126	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	82 75–83	$53,566/yr	31.6x
127	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	82 75–83	$52,362/yr	28.0x
128	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	82 75–83	$50,553/yr	36.7x
129	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	81 76–83	$171,264/yr	8.9x
130	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	81 76–82	$154,492/yr	8.1x
131	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	81 76–82	$152,251/yr	8.3x
132	Stanford University Stanford, CA	81 76–83	$138,613/yr	8.9x
133	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	81 74–83	$77,599/yr	11.2x
134	Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL	81 74–83	$62,831/yr	17.0x
135	Louisiana State University-Shreveport Shreveport, LA	81 74–83	$60,259/yr	24.9x
136	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL	81 73–82	$55,256/yr	20.9x
137	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	80 75–81	$152,656/yr	7.3x
138	Duke University Durham, NC	80 74–81	$133,356/yr	6.7x
139	Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA	80 75–81	$132,265/yr	7.3x
140	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	80 74–81	$117,578/yr	7.5x
141	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	80 73–81	$60,979/yr	14.3x
142	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	80 73–81	$58,697/yr	17.0x
143	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	80 72–81	$57,233/yr	18.3x
144	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	80 73–81	$57,007/yr	18.0x
145	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI	80 73–81	$52,324/yr	24.2x
146	Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT	80 73–81	$49,655/yr	29.8x
147	University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC	80 74–81	$48,076/yr	30.5x
148	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	79 74–80	$137,284/yr	5.6x
149	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	79 74–81	$132,919/yr	6.3x
150	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	79 73–80	$124,678/yr	5.5x
151	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY	79 74–81	$118,636/yr	6.4x
152	Williams College Williamstown, MA	79 73–80	$110,814/yr	5.3x
153	Tufts University Medford, MA	79 72–80	$105,659/yr	5.2x
154	Amherst College Amherst, MA	79 73–80	$100,596/yr	6.2x
155	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN	79 72–80	$100,294/yr	5.9x
156	Baker College Owosso, MI	79 72–80	$67,839/yr	13.7x
157	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH	79 72–80	$66,674/yr	15.5x
158	University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN	79 71–80	$55,597/yr	18.1x
159	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI	79 71–80	$53,907/yr	15.2x
160	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY	78 72–80	$104,943/yr	5.0x
161	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	78 72–79	$99,981/yr	4.9x
162	Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ	78 72–79	$99,007/yr	4.7x
163	Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY	78 71–79	$94,611/yr	5.0x
164	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA	78 72–80	$93,888/yr	5.3x
165	Georgetown University Washington, DC	78 71–80	$92,974/yr	5.2x
166	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	78 71–80	$89,915/yr	5.4x
167	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	78 71–79	$86,749/yr	4.7x
168	Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA	78 70–79	$85,954/yr	5.8x
169	University of Portland Portland, OR	78 71–79	$85,637/yr	5.2x
170	Seattle University Seattle, WA	78 70–79	$85,285/yr	5.1x
171	Emory University Atlanta, GA	78 71–79	$80,623/yr	5.9x
172	Harding University Searcy, AR	78 71–80	$78,041/yr	8.8x
173	University of Minnesota-Morris Morris, MN	78 71–79	$55,441/yr	14.4x
174	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	78 73–79	$45,846/yr	29.8x
175	College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY	78 73–79	$45,290/yr	32.3x
176	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	78 73–79	$44,530/yr	36.0x
177	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	77 71–78	$111,141/yr	24.1x
178	George Washington University Washington, DC	77 71–78	$104,200/yr	3.8x
179	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	77 70–78	$99,756/yr	20.7x
180	Boston University Boston, MA	77 70–79	$90,050/yr	4.3x
181	Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA	77 70–78	$88,587/yr	4.2x
182	Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL	77 69–78	$86,005/yr	4.5x
183	Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT	77 69–78	$83,860/yr	24.3x
184	Brandeis University Waltham, MA	77 69–78	$80,431/yr	4.1x
185	Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL	77 69–78	$75,231/yr	5.7x
186	Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH	76 70–78	$95,688/yr	3.6x
187	Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX	76 69–77	$93,679/yr	3.5x
188	Carleton College Northfield, MN	76 69–77	$88,132/yr	3.6x
189	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	76 69–77	$86,930/yr	3.8x
190	Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	76 69–77	$84,449/yr	3.7x
191	Clarkson University Potsdam, NY	76 69–78	$79,744/yr	4.3x
192	Gonzaga University Spokane, WA	76 68–77	$76,636/yr	4.3x
193	Cedarville University Cedarville, OH	76 69–78	$76,615/yr	6.1x
194	Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC	76 69–77	$75,625/yr	4.4x
195	Regis University Denver, CO	76 69–77	$75,501/yr	5.3x
196	Bellevue College Bellevue, WA	76 69–77	$73,214/yr	41.5x
197	Ithaca College Ithaca, NY	76 69–77	$70,239/yr	5.8x
198	Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN	76 69–77	$53,832/yr	15.5x
199	Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC	76 69–77	$50,940/yr	36.9x
200	Kettering University Flint, MI	75 67–76	$83,751/yr	4.1x
201	Baylor University Waco, TX	75 68–77	$82,714/yr	3.9x
202	St Olaf College Northfield, MN	75 67–76	$82,278/yr	3.6x
203	Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY	75 69–77	$69,737/yr	5.5x
204	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	75 68–76	$62,974/yr	9.8x
205	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay, WI	75 68–76	$53,832/yr	14.1x
206	University of the Pacific Stockton, CA	74 67–75	$90,476/yr	3.4x
207	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	74 67–75	$86,084/yr	15.4x
208	Taylor University Upland, IN	74 67–75	$77,081/yr	4.9x
209	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	74 67–75	$75,169/yr	18.3x
210	Webster University Saint Louis, MO	74 67–75	$70,400/yr	6.4x
211	University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC	74 67–75	$65,524/yr	25.6x
212	Luther College Decorah, IA	74 67–75	$63,760/yr	4.8x
213	Rasmussen University-North Dakota Fargo, ND	74 67–76	$53,832/yr	13.2x
214	Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL	74 66–75	$53,832/yr	12.3x
215	Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC	74 67–75	$50,927/yr	20.6x
216	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL	73 66–74	$76,877/yr	3.2x
217	University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN	73 66–74	$73,301/yr	3.8x
218	Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI	73 66–75	$73,145/yr	4.9x
219	DePauw University Greencastle, IN	73 66–74	$70,026/yr	3.7x
220	Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN	73 66–74	$68,485/yr	19.3x
221	University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX	73 66–74	$65,857/yr	20.3x
222	Utah Tech University Saint George, UT	73 67–75	$65,000/yr	25.8x
223	Tennessee State University Nashville, TN	73 66–74	$50,628/yr	16.9x
224	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	72 65–73	$81,034/yr	13.3x
225	University of Maine Orono, ME	72 65–73	$77,046/yr	14.3x
226	Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI	72 65–73	$67,392/yr	4.6x
227	University of Wisconsin-Parkside Kenosha, WI	72 65–73	$64,354/yr	19.5x
228	Whitworth University Spokane, WA	72 65–74	$62,139/yr	4.4x
229	Clayton State University Morrow, GA	72 64–73	$56,328/yr	26.8x
230	Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL	72 65–73	$53,832/yr	10.9x
231	Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka, KS	72 65–73	$53,832/yr	10.8x
232	The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN	72 67–74	$46,710/yr	16.0x
233	Longwood University Farmville, VA	71 63–72	$78,085/yr	11.8x
234	University of Denver Denver, CO	71 64–72	$72,250/yr	3.1x
235	Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN	71 64–72	$69,964/yr	3.4x
236	California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA	71 64–72	$68,398/yr	3.5x
237	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA	71 65–72	$68,023/yr	15.8x
238	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME	71 64–72	$67,956/yr	14.6x
239	Bradley University Peoria, IL	71 64–72	$66,457/yr	4.6x
240	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	71 64–72	$66,055/yr	3.3x
241	Wichita State University Wichita, KS	71 64–72	$64,699/yr	16.4x
242	Idaho State University Pocatello, ID	71 64–72	$62,829/yr	17.8x
243	Capital University Columbus, OH	71 64–73	$62,806/yr	4.7x
244	North Central College Naperville, IL	71 64–72	$53,544/yr	5.1x
245	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	71 67–72	$42,874/yr	15.7x
246	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA	71 69–72	$41,631/yr	24.0x
247	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	70 63–71	$61,354/yr	15.6x
248	University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA	70 63–71	$60,714/yr	15.5x
249	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH	69 62–70	$68,280/yr	12.5x
250	Westfield State University Westfield, MA	69 62–70	$66,349/yr	13.0x
251	John Carroll University University Heights, OH	69 62–70	$65,716/yr	3.3x
252	University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC	69 70–70	$38,417/yr	63.1x
253	Pace University New York, NY	68 61–69	$60,551/yr	3.3x
254	Rhode Island College Providence, RI	68 61–69	$60,361/yr	12.7x
255	California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA	67 62–68	$173,344/yr	5.9x
256	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	67 61–68	$146,624/yr	5.1x
257	Augustana College Rock Island, IL	67 60–69	$74,745/yr	2.8x
258	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	67 61–69	$71,764/yr	9.9x
259	Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies Fayette, MO	67 60–68	$49,629/yr	16.8x
260	Pomona College Claremont, CA	66 61–67	$143,084/yr	4.7x
261	Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD	66 59–67	$54,349/yr	12.6x
262	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	65 60–67	$122,244/yr	3.8x
263	Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO	65 59–66	$110,302/yr	3.4x
264	University of San Diego San Diego, CA	65 59–66	$104,948/yr	3.6x
265	Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA	65 58–66	$82,557/yr	4.3x
266	Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN	65 58–66	$72,875/yr	6.3x
267	Murray State University Murray, KY	65 68–66	$36,938/yr	21.6x
268	University of Rochester Rochester, NY	64 58–65	$99,878/yr	2.9x
269	Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	64 57–66	$81,470/yr	3.6x
270	Willamette University Salem, OR	64 56–65	$80,077/yr	3.1x
271	Western New England University Springfield, MA	64 56–65	$79,990/yr	3.3x
272	Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL	64 57–65	$72,237/yr	5.4x
273	Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH	64 57–65	$59,203/yr	9.2x
274	Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA	63 56–64	$90,828/yr	2.5x
275	Connecticut College New London, CT	63 56–64	$86,403/yr	2.3x
276	Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL	63 56–64	$72,910/yr	3.4x
277	Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, HI	63 57–65	$72,448/yr	4.5x
278	La Salle University Philadelphia, PA	63 56–64	$70,783/yr	4.0x
279	York College of Pennsylvania York, PA	63 56–64	$67,310/yr	5.8x
280	Governors State University University Park, IL	63 56–65	$52,115/yr	10.5x
281	California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA	63 68–64	$34,482/yr	33.2x
282	Middlebury College Middlebury, VT	62 54–63	$80,158/yr	2.1x
283	Colgate University Hamilton, NY	62 54–63	$79,929/yr	2.0x
284	Saint Edward's University Austin, TX	62 55–63	$76,093/yr	2.7x
285	University of Dayton Dayton, OH	62 55–63	$74,052/yr	2.9x
286	University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK	62 55–63	$73,787/yr	2.8x
287	Xavier University Cincinnati, OH	62 55–63	$73,546/yr	2.8x
288	Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI	62 55–63	$70,730/yr	3.0x
289	Ohio Northern University Ada, OH	62 55–63	$69,046/yr	3.6x
290	Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK	62 54–63	$61,272/yr	4.9x
291	Touro University New York, NY	62 55–63	$61,001/yr	6.0x
292	Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI	62 54–63	$60,031/yr	5.4x
293	Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA	62 54–63	$58,225/yr	6.1x
294	Concordia University Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	62 56–63	$48,962/yr	4.1x
295	Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI	62 56–63	$48,962/yr	4.1x
296	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	61 54–62	$74,842/yr	2.1x
297	Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA	61 53–62	$74,642/yr	1.9x
298	Simpson College Indianola, IA	61 55–63	$70,950/yr	2.8x
299	Merrimack College North Andover, MA	61 54–62	$70,256/yr	2.4x
300	Benedictine University Lisle, IL	61 54–62	$62,235/yr	3.5x
301	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	60 53–61	$71,672/yr	1.8x
302	Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO	60 53–61	$69,849/yr	2.3x
303	Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA	60 53–61	$65,098/yr	2.5x
304	Lewis University Romeoville, IL	60 52–61	$60,726/yr	3.0x
305	Southern University and A & M College Baton Rouge, LA	60 55–61	$45,907/yr	10.5x
306	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY	60 58–61	$41,177/yr	3.8x
307	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	60 64–61	$28,892/yr	50.7x
308	Providence College Providence, RI	59 52–60	$69,195/yr	1.8x
309	Chapman University Orange, CA	59 52–60	$67,125/yr	1.7x
310	Smith College Northampton, MA	59 52–60	$66,981/yr	1.7x
311	Wofford College Spartanburg, SC	59 52–60	$64,267/yr	2.0x
312	Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN	59 52–61	$63,065/yr	2.6x
313	Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR	58 52–60	$66,653/yr	1.7x
314	Occidental College Los Angeles, CA	58 51–59	$63,845/yr	1.5x
315	Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, PA	58 51–60	$62,647/yr	2.1x
316	Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD	58 50–59	$61,017/yr	1.7x
317	Suffolk University Boston, MA	58 51–59	$60,259/yr	2.3x
318	Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN	58 51–59	$59,863/yr	2.2x
319	Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA	58 51–59	$58,440/yr	2.5x
320	Aurora University Aurora, IL	58 51–59	$51,605/yr	3.6x
321	Central Penn College Summerdale, PA	58 52–59	$49,718/yr	5.4x
322	Rhodes College Memphis, TN	57 50–58	$60,225/yr	1.7x
323	Allegheny College Meadville, PA	57 50–58	$58,811/yr	1.7x
324	Full Sail University Winter Park, FL	57 51–58	$50,359/yr	3.8x
325	Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Fayette, MO	57 50–58	$49,629/yr	3.6x
326	Roosevelt University Chicago, IL	57 55–59	$41,976/yr	6.8x
327	Indiana University-Northwest Gary, IN	57 60–58	$36,053/yr	17.1x
328	University of Scranton Scranton, PA	56 49–57	$55,390/yr	1.6x
329	Champlain College Burlington, VT	56 49–57	$54,036/yr	2.0x
330	CUNY York College Jamaica, NY	56 59–57	$36,061/yr	17.9x
331	Moravian University Bethlehem, PA	55 48–56	$52,133/yr	1.5x
332	Creighton University Omaha, NE	55 48–56	$51,625/yr	1.7x
333	Southern University Law Center Baton Rouge, LA	55 50–56	$45,907/yr	—
334	Widener University Chester, PA	54 47–55	$51,536/yr	1.4x
335	Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA	54 48–55	$49,205/yr	2.0x
336	Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL	53 46–54	$48,587/yr	1.2x
337	Drew University Madison, NJ	53 46–54	$47,689/yr	1.6x
338	Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL	52 47–53	$45,889/yr	2.1x
339	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	49 51–50	$37,153/yr	10.7x
340	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Aguadilla, PR	49 53–50	$34,985/yr	14.8x
341	Biola University La Mirada, CA	48 44–49	$42,882/yr	1.3x
342	University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR	41 42–42	$25,039/yr	10.9x
343	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Mercedita, PR	39 41–40	$25,245/yr	13.5x
344	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon Bayamon, PR	38 35–39	$19,049/yr	7.5x
345	Austin College Sherman, TX	37 41–38	$35,462/yr	0.9x

Highest Earning Computer Science Programs

Schools where Computer Science graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
California Institute of Technology	$173,344/yr	67
Carnegie Mellon University	$171,264/yr	81
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$154,492/yr	81
Cornell University	$152,656/yr	80
Harvard University	$152,251/yr	81
Brown University	$151,065/yr	82
University of California-Berkeley	$149,866/yr	90
Princeton University	$146,624/yr	67
Pomona College	$143,084/yr	66
Stanford University	$138,613/yr	81

Best ROI for Computer Science

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Computer Science.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Brigham Young University-Idaho	65.4x	$77,316/yr	89
University of North Carolina at Pembroke	63.1x	$38,417/yr	69
Western Carolina University	50.7x	$28,892/yr	60
Brigham Young University	47.1x	$90,625/yr	90
Utah Valley University	45.4x	$77,946/yr	89
Kennesaw State University	45.0x	$68,763/yr	87
Sonoma State University	44.0x	$66,481/yr	87
California State University-Channel Islands	43.0x	$59,374/yr	85
Bellevue College	41.5x	$73,214/yr	76
California State University-Northridge	39.1x	$62,821/yr	86

Want to compare two Computer Science programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Computer Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Computer Science graduates earn?

Across 345 schools, Computer Science graduates earn an average of $73,714 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $19,049 to $173,344 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Computer Science?

Computer Science is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 61% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Computer Science program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of California-Berkeley ranks #1 for Computer Science with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $149,866/yr.

What's the outlook for a Computer Science degree?

On average, Computer Science graduates earn 15.6x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →