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Computer & Information Sciences · Information Sciences Rank #438 of 443

Information Sciencesat Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Graduates earn $26,671/yr in their first year — about 57.0% below the national Information Sciences average. Base-case 10-year earnings $355K; scenarios range from $388K to $343K depending on AI disruption.

Magnolia, AR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
38 AT RISK
39
Optimistic
42
Pessimistic
Earnings
$26,671
1-year post-graduation
ROI
5.8x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$355K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
59% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

While the career paths listed represent the high end of the tech industry, your immediate post-graduation landscape from Southern Arkansas University will likely look very different. SAU primarily serves a regional economy, and major tech hubs with high-paying software development roles are not abundant in the area. Graduates often find their first jobs in IT support, systems administration, or database management for local businesses, school districts, and regional companies like Murphy USA or Albemarle Corporation. These are valuable, stable careers but operate on a different salary scale than the developer roles in major metro areas. The program provides a solid, generalist foundation rather than a specialized, high-intensity pipeline into Silicon Valley.

Your key action: Aggressively pursue remote internships with national companies while you are still in school to build a portfolio that can compete for higher-paying remote jobs upon graduation.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$388K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score42/100
Earnings Multiple9.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$355K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score38/100
Earnings Multiple9.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$343K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score39/100
Earnings Multiple8.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Southern Arkansas University Main Campus's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Information Sciences graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Computer and information systems managers
+15.2% 10-yr growth · 55,600 openings/yr
$171,200/yr
High
2
Computer and information research scientists
+19.7% 10-yr growth · 3,200 openings/yr
$140,910/yr
High
3
Database architects
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 4,000 openings/yr
$135,980/yr
Very High
4
Software developers
+15.8% 10-yr growth · 115,200 openings/yr
$133,080/yr
Very High
5
Computer network architects
+11.9% 10-yr growth · 11,200 openings/yr
$130,390/yr
High
6
Information security analysts
+28.5% 10-yr growth · 16,000 openings/yr
$124,910/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Information Sciences

How Southern Arkansas University Main Campus stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
84
DW Score
$146K
1-yr earn
10.3x
ROI
Top score
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public
91
DW Score
$136K
1-yr earn
38.8x
ROI
Yale University
CT · Private nonprofit
83
DW Score
$133K
1-yr earn
9.5x
ROI
Rice University
TX · Private nonprofit
82
DW Score
$131K
1-yr earn
8.2x
ROI
Northeastern University
MA · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$116K
1-yr earn
4.9x
ROI
Also at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Other top programs at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Information Sciences trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Information Sciences at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Information Sciences at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus?

A score of 38/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Information Sciences. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Information Sciences careers?

With 69% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $388,302 in decade earnings vs $342,510 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Can you still earn well with Information Sciences from Southern Arkansas University Main Campus?

First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.