Information Science/Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 11.04. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 821 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 | 88 | 896 | $49,800 | $58,325 | $11,721 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 108 | 1,046 | $46,425 | $56,799 | $16,153 10 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 301 | 9,605 | $65,798 | $85,294 | $25,000 136 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 12 | 0 | $97,617 | $125,864 | $20,389 2 programs |
| Master's degree | 192 | 10,368 | $85,244 | $112,705 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 37 | 197 | $107,391 | $126,925 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | $174,855 | $208,216 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 82 | 313 | $56,665 | $74,146 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland-Baltimore County MD · Public · 25 graduates measured | $70,141 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 25 graduates measured | $53,356 | Data unavailable | $11,721 |
| Ace Institute of Technology NY · Private, for-profit · 67 graduates measured | $40,695 | $42,353 | $6,067 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Gateway Community College · Public · 76 graduates measured | $57,751 | Data unavailable | $10,937 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $49,860 | $69,394 | Data unavailable |
| Cuyahoga Community College District OH · Public · 32 graduates measured | $49,525 | $57,923 | Data unavailable |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 79 graduates measured | $48,880 | $57,363 | $9,986 |
| Niagara County Community College NY · Public · 16 graduates measured | $48,456 | $51,853 | $13,125 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 27 graduates measured | $44,711 | $75,248 | $16,253 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $114,519 | $163,740 | $18,250 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 102 graduates measured | $94,193 | $130,798 | $21,500 |
| Norwich University VT · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $92,268 | Data unavailable | $28,772 |
| University of California-Riverside CA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $90,235 | Data unavailable | $15,188 |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 70 graduates measured | $85,192 | $131,090 | $19,000 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 34 graduates measured | $83,548 | Data unavailable | $18,472 |
| Clemson University SC · Public · 28 graduates measured | $82,608 | $105,646 | $26,780 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 232 graduates measured | $81,572 | $104,842 | $20,500 |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 22 graduates measured | $79,292 | $102,765 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 66 graduates measured | $78,821 | $100,940 | $10,000 |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 184 graduates measured | $78,785 | $89,715 | $25,000 |
| James Madison University VA · Public · 156 graduates measured | $77,208 | $113,345 | $18,828 |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 528 graduates measured | $77,023 | $109,092 | $14,500 |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology NJ · Public · 66 graduates measured | $76,390 | $103,918 | $23,000 |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $76,309 | $82,551 | $19,562 |
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.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $114,402 | $141,703 | $22,778 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 87 graduates measured | $134,755 | $173,816 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $129,630 | $158,815 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $129,630 | $158,815 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $129,630 | $158,815 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $129,630 | $158,815 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $127,279 | $141,026 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 87 graduates measured | $122,251 | $142,909 | Data unavailable |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 161 graduates measured | $119,179 | $136,425 | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $118,124 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas Tech University TX · Public · 43 graduates measured | $115,824 | $118,405 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $113,033 | $149,469 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 48 graduates measured | $108,801 | $123,217 | Data unavailable |
| University of Denver CO · Private, nonprofit · 57 graduates measured | $108,267 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 48 graduates measured | $107,459 | $146,546 | Data unavailable |
| Tarleton State University TX · Public · 25 graduates measured | $105,534 | $111,578 | 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.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 190 graduates measured | $174,454 | $209,391 | 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.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $67,467 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of North Texas TX · Public · 73 graduates measured | $49,624 | $52,761 | 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 Information Science/Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and information systems managers | $175,140 | +15.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and information research scientists | $140,300 | +21.8% | Master's degree |
| Database architects | $139,500 | +9.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Web and digital interface designers | $104,000 | +6.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer occupations, all other | $116,580 | +5.1% | 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 (1)
- 11.0401 Information Science/Studies