Computer Programming: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 11.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,023 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 453 | 8,094 | $46,650 | $56,556 | $12,580 16 programs |
| Associate's degree | 389 | 4,193 | $45,248 | $58,070 | $13,956 37 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 127 | 2,397 | $63,496 | $83,439 | $25,049 29 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 25 | 480 | $103,331 | $148,974 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 28 | 172 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weber State University UT · Public · 16 graduates measured | $70,698 | $79,340 | $15,379 |
| St Petersburg College FL · Public · 22 graduates measured | $61,245 | Data unavailable | $11,375 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 47 graduates measured | $57,214 | $71,953 | $15,199 |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 22 graduates measured | $48,921 | Data unavailable | $21,538 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 17 graduates measured | $46,420 | $58,181 | $10,500 |
| Hillsborough College FL · Public · 17 graduates measured | $43,082 | $66,521 | Data unavailable |
| Omnitech Institute · Private, for-profit · 24 graduates measured | $29,847 | $27,984 | Data unavailable |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 16 graduates measured | $28,495 | Data unavailable | $23,757 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College IA · Public · 40 graduates measured | $67,290 | Data unavailable | $15,863 |
| St Cloud Technical and Community College MN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $66,353 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Wayne County Community College District MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $64,871 | $42,247 | Data unavailable |
| Cincinnati State Technical and Community College OH · Public · 28 graduates measured | $63,108 | $86,910 | Data unavailable |
| Fox Valley Technical College WI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $62,784 | $77,481 | $9,500 |
| Missouri Southern State University MO · Public · 20 graduates measured | $61,029 | $79,023 | $20,908 |
| St Petersburg College FL · Public · 21 graduates measured | $59,945 | $76,683 | $13,956 |
| Southeast Technical College SD · Public · 35 graduates measured | $59,648 | $48,859 | $23,250 |
| Minneapolis Community and Technical College MN · Public · 27 graduates measured | $59,241 | $87,708 | $22,746 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 24 graduates measured | $58,198 | $59,102 | Data unavailable |
| Northcentral Technical College WI · Public · 23 graduates measured | $56,300 | $67,224 | Data unavailable |
| Waukesha County Technical College WI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $55,539 | $77,267 | Data unavailable |
| Indian Hills Community College IA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $53,847 | $86,187 | Data unavailable |
| Valencia College FL · Public · 26 graduates measured | $53,398 | $63,999 | $16,781 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $52,536 | $61,663 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| DigiPen Institute of Technology WA · Private, for-profit · 59 graduates measured | $95,276 | $137,503 | Data unavailable |
| Dominican University of California CA · Private, nonprofit · 50 graduates measured | $88,983 | Data unavailable | $17,901 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology NY · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $87,798 | $113,559 | $27,000 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn MI · Public · 60 graduates measured | $86,921 | $106,484 | $19,750 |
| Elon University NC · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $84,029 | $111,448 | $21,375 |
| Grand Canyon University AZ · Private, for-profit · 57 graduates measured | $83,106 | Data unavailable | $28,375 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology WA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $81,233 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Champlain College VT · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $80,373 | Data unavailable | $27,000 |
| Anthem Institute · Private, for-profit · 58 graduates measured | $78,145 | $97,082 | $28,500 |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 180 graduates measured | $77,967 | $101,315 | $23,000 |
| Green River College WA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $75,118 | $92,375 | $26,433 |
| Limestone University · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $74,468 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fort Hays State University KS · Public · 85 graduates measured | $73,010 | $73,380 | $25,503 |
| Bellevue University NE · Private, nonprofit · 88 graduates measured | $69,872 | $90,435 | $25,000 |
| New England Institute of Technology RI · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $68,479 | $114,963 | $27,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maharishi International University IA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $121,824 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 96 graduates measured | $112,698 | $158,509 | Data unavailable |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $100,172 | $179,964 | Data unavailable |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 83 graduates measured | $89,193 | $84,866 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Computer Programming
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer network support specialists | $76,220 | +1.2% | Associate's degree |
| Computer programmers | $100,390 | -7.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | $104,300 | +5.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Web developers | $92,650 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Web and digital interface designers | $104,000 | +6.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer science teachers, postsecondary | $96,980 | +4.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (6)
- 11.0201 Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202 Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203 Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204 Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205 Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0299 Computer Programming, Other