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Computer & Information Sciences · Computer Science Rank #224 of 345

Computer Scienceat University of California-Riverside

Graduates earn $81,034/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Computer Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $811K; scenarios range from $640K to $843K depending on AI disruption.

Riverside, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
72 STRONG
73
Optimistic
65
Pessimistic
Earnings
$81,034
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$811K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
61% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UC Riverside

University of California-Riverside's Computer Science graduates start at $81,034/yr — above the $73,713 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 14.3x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 72% task exposure — and the 24% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $19,000 in median debt clears quickly against $81,034 in annual earnings.

At #224 out of 345 programs, University of California-Riverside's financial outcomes for Computer Science trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

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
$640K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score65/100
Earnings Multiple11.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$811K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple14.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$843K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple14.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Computer Science 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
Information security analysts
+28.5% 10-yr growth · 16,000 openings/yr
$124,910/yr
High
6
Data scientists
+33.5% 10-yr growth · 23,400 openings/yr
$112,590/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 Computer Science

How UC Riverside stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California Institute of Technology
CA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$173K
1-yr earn
5.9x
ROI
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private nonprofit
81
DW Score
$171K
1-yr earn
8.9x
ROI
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private nonprofit
81
DW Score
$154K
1-yr earn
8.1x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
80
DW Score
$153K
1-yr earn
7.3x
ROI
Harvard University
MA · Private nonprofit
81
DW Score
$152K
1-yr earn
8.3x
ROI
Also at UC Riverside

Other top programs at UC Riverside

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Riverside, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

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.

Compare Computer Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Computer Science at UC Riverside

How does University of California-Riverside's Computer Science program score?

A score of 72/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of California-Riverside trails the majority of Computer Science programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Computer Science to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Computer Science careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 72% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.