College Scorecard · field of study · all U.S. colleges

Is a Computer Software and Media Applications degree worth the debt?

The figures below lead with the Bachelor's, aggregated across 64 colleges (64 of 64 programs report earnings). Other credential levels are in the table further down.

Median pay · 1 yr after

$30,264

Graduates only, early career.$35,071 two years out.

Median federal debt

$27,000

Federal loans only — not private or Parent PLUS.

Debt vs a year's pay

0.82×

82% of a first year's earnings.

Typical debt is under a year's early-career pay.

The college you pick moves this a lot

The middle 50% of Bachelor's programs in Computer Software and Media Applications report early-career pay between $28,797 and $40,403 — a spread of $11,606 that depends on the program and who attends it, not the major alone.

25th pct $28,797 median $30,264 75th pct $40,403

By degree level

Each level is a separate decision — more schooling usually means more pay and more debt.

LevelPay · 1yrDebtDebt/pay

Certificate 4 colleges $26,824 $13,704 0.51×

Associate's 38 colleges $27,019 $16,701 0.53×

Bachelor's 64 colleges $30,264 $27,000 0.82×

Master's 17 colleges $73,365 $42,161 0.45×

Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

The 15 programs with the highest reported pay one year after completion. This reflects who enrolls and where they live as much as the program itself — it is not a causal quality ranking.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI $82,297 $19,230 debt

Neumont College of Computer Science UT $74,119 —

University of Southern California CA $72,085 —

Wellesley College MA $70,490 —

Rochester Institute of Technology NY $57,806 $27,000 debt

Florida Polytechnic University FL $56,731 $7,875 debt

University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ $53,600 $43,911 debt

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI $53,154 $22,939 debt

Park University MO $50,935 —

Pennsylvania College of Technology PA $45,469 $27,970 debt

The New School NY $44,088 $25,000 debt

Brigham Young University-Idaho ID $42,978 $9,312 debt

Academy of Art University CA $42,476 $36,750 debt

Champlain College VT $41,964 $27,000 debt

School of Visual Arts NY $41,114 $27,000 debt

What these numbers are — and are not

Every figure here is a median across college programs in Computer Software and Media Applications, from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. It is not a prediction of what you would earn (your college, effort, and local job market vary enormously — see the spread above), not lifetime earnings (it is measured 1–2 years after completion, early career), not proof the major caused the outcome (who enters a field differs by field — selection, not causation), and not a "best majors" ranking: earnings are one dimension of worth, not the whole of it. Teaching and social work pay far less than the fields at the top of this list and matter enormously. Earnings cover federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report.

Also available: structured data (JSON-LD) · plain text · JSON. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release). · explore this field on the official Scorecard