Computational Science: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 30.30. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 178 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 | 11 | 98 | $83,811 | $90,951 | $16,361 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 5 | 19 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 56 | 431 | $75,740 | $104,864 | $23,500 4 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 61 | 1,682 | $110,690 | $138,757 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 15 | 83 | $108,148 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | $149,294 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 27 | 82 | $107,607 | 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.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $86,634 | Data unavailable | $12,035 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 31 graduates measured | $58,845 | Data unavailable | $20,687 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $74,099 | Data unavailable | $19,726 |
| Washington State University WA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $71,268 | Data unavailable | $20,500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley PA · Public · 122 graduates measured | $120,316 | $137,367 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 122 graduates measured | $120,316 | $137,367 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 122 graduates measured | $120,316 | $137,367 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 52 graduates measured | $118,300 | $151,397 | Data unavailable |
| University of Central Florida FL · Public · 22 graduates measured | $111,772 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $89,854 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 20 graduates measured | $79,439 | Data unavailable | 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 Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $145,374 | Data unavailable | 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 Computational Science
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer programmers | $100,390 | -7.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer occupations, all other | $116,580 | +5.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mathematical science occupations, all other | $81,490 | +7.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer science teachers, postsecondary | $96,980 | +4.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | 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.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 30.3001 Computational Science