Lake Area Technical College: Computer Science

Associate's degree · CIP 11.07 · Some credentials fully online · Watertown, SD

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $41,083 one year after completing and $60,752 four years after. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $12,000. Nationally, graduates of associate's degree programs in this field earned a median of $41,515 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$41,083
39 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
$60,752
Verified data
Median federal debt
$12,000
35 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.29x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$41,083$41,515
Median earnings 4 years after completion$60,752$62,283
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$12,000$11,500 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$136
Graduates in the most recent year285,649 across 322 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

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.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

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.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Weber State University
UT · Public
$81,767$18,396
Southern Maine Community College
ME · Public
$66,994Data unavailable
Southern New Hampshire University
NH · Private, nonprofit
$57,582$17,944
Montgomery County Community College
PA · Public
$51,224$17,500
Northern Virginia Community College
VA · Public
$47,900$8,775
South Hills School of Business & Technology
PA · Private, for-profit
$43,660Data unavailable
UCNJ Union College of Union County New Jersey
NJ · Public
$39,826Data unavailable
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
NY · Public
$37,960$9,500
California College San Diego
· Private, nonprofit
$35,622Data unavailable
Connecticut State Community College
CT · Public
$35,403$6,500

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Lake Area Technical College Computer Science (Associate's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence