---
title: Is a Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications degree worth the debt?
cip: 1109
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 Systems Networking and Telecommunications degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **47** colleges (47 of 47 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $50,307 ($53,718 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $27,000 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.62× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $49,122–$50,910 — 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 | $32,164 | $10,779 | 0.34× | 17 | 17/17 |
| Associate's | $39,531 | $24,410 | 0.62× | 77 | 77/77 |
| Bachelor's | $50,307 | $27,000 | 0.62× | 47 | 47/47 |
| Master's | $68,726 | $38,939 | 0.57× | 13 | 13/13 |
| Grad cert. | $61,444 | $30,617 | 0.50× | 10 | 10/10 |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology (MA) | $76,201 | $27,000 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) | $72,401 | $31,000 |
| Utah Valley University (UT) | $71,493 | $19,043 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (MN) | $64,669 | $20,000 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Providence (RI) | $63,561 | — |
| Park University (MO) | $60,450 | — |
| DePaul University (IL) | $56,840 | $22,166 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona (AZ) | $54,894 | $35,301 |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth (MN) | $53,217 | $25,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout (WI) | $53,164 | $22,881 |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville (FL) | $52,977 | $22,330 |
| Stevenson University (MD) | $51,295 | $27,000 |
| Weber State University (UT) | $50,526 | — |
| DeVry College of New York (NY) | $50,307 | $41,421 |
| DeVry University-Arizona (AZ) | $50,307 | $41,421 |

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-systems-networking-and-telecommunications.jsonld` · `/education/fields/computer-systems-networking-and-telecommunications.json`