---
title: Is a Computer Software and Media Applications degree worth the debt?
cip: 1108
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

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

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **64** colleges (64 of 64 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $30,264 ($35,071 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $27,000 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.82× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $28,797–$40,403 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate | $26,824 | $13,704 | 0.51× | 4 | 4/4 |
| Associate's | $27,019 | $16,701 | 0.53× | 38 | 38/38 |
| Bachelor's | $30,264 | $27,000 | 0.82× | 64 | 64/64 |
| Master's | $73,365 | $42,161 | 0.45× | 17 | 17/17 |

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

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (MI) | $82,297 | $19,230 |
| 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 |
| Florida Polytechnic University (FL) | $56,731 | $7,875 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona (AZ) | $53,600 | $43,911 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI) | $53,154 | $22,939 |
| Park University (MO) | $50,935 | — |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology (PA) | $45,469 | $27,970 |
| The New School (NY) | $44,088 | $25,000 |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho (ID) | $42,978 | $9,312 |
| Academy of Art University (CA) | $42,476 | $36,750 |
| Champlain College (VT) | $41,964 | $27,000 |
| School of Visual Arts (NY) | $41,114 | $27,000 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/computer-software-and-media-applications.jsonld` · `/education/fields/computer-software-and-media-applications.json`