Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Computer Science

Computer Science graduates earn a median of $68,504 within two years of graduation, ranking #12 out of 292 tracked majors — 93% above the median across all fields. There are 312 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 21,908 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Carnegie Mellon University graduates earn $160,116 while Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo graduates earn $25,194 — a $134,922 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is moderate: Computer Science graduates see an average 6% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

312
Schools
$68,504
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#12
of 292 Majors
21,908
Graduates

Public vs Private: Computer Science

Public (169 schools)
$64,196
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (131 schools)
$74,873
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $10,677 more in early earnings on average for Computer Science graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Computer Science by State

California
37 schools
$72,889
New York
21 schools
$71,535
Illinois
21 schools
$66,656
Massachusetts
17 schools
$83,997
North Carolina
17 schools
$60,095
Minnesota
14 schools
$65,784
Indiana
11 schools
$66,740
Pennsylvania
10 schools
$80,288

Top Computer Science Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
C

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private

$160,116
2yr Earnings
1yr: $161,723
Grads: 97
Acceptance: 11.4%
#2
B

Brown University

Providence, RI · Private

$153,718
2yr Earnings
1yr: $130,101
Grads: 95
Acceptance: 5.2%
#3
H

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA · Private

$142,581
2yr Earnings
1yr: $123,339
Grads: 26
Acceptance: 13.1%
#4
S

Stanford University

Stanford, CA · Private

$136,499
2yr Earnings
1yr: $136,126
Grads: 96
Acceptance: 3.9%
#5
P

Pomona College

Claremont, CA · Private

$128,737
2yr Earnings
1yr: $110,738
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 6.8%
#6
H

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA · Private

$128,737
2yr Earnings
1yr: $140,072
Grads: 58
Acceptance: 3.5%
#7
M

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA · Private

$127,993
2yr Earnings
1yr: $118,191
Grads: 134
Acceptance: 4.7%
#8
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$125,388
2yr Earnings
1yr: $125,250
Grads: 313
Acceptance: 11.7%
#9
U

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private

$125,015
2yr Earnings
1yr: $127,623
Grads: 16
Acceptance: 5.9%
#10
C

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$122,485
2yr Earnings
1yr: $127,764
Grads: 228
Acceptance: 8.2%
#11
D

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH · Private

$113,015
2yr Earnings
1yr: $111,259
Grads: 63
Acceptance: 6.2%
#12
R

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Terre Haute, IN · Private

$111,992
2yr Earnings
1yr: $77,382
Grads: 52
Acceptance: 72.8%
#13
D

Duke University

Durham, NC · Private

$106,898
2yr Earnings
1yr: $115,135
Grads: 141
Acceptance: 6.8%
#14
B

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME · Private

$104,192
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 8.0%
#15
C

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private

$103,078
2yr Earnings
1yr: $108,903
Grads: 118
Acceptance: 4.2%
#16
V

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN · Private

$102,409
2yr Earnings
1yr: $101,714
Grads: 48
Acceptance: 6.3%
#17
U

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

$101,592
2yr Earnings
1yr: $101,262
Grads: 151
Acceptance: 43.7%
#18
U

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

$101,221
2yr Earnings
1yr: $101,710
Grads: 236
Acceptance: 42.5%
#19
U

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA · Public

$101,221
2yr Earnings
1yr: $101,710
Grads: 236
Acceptance: 91.8%
#20
W

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO · Private

$99,517
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,930
Grads: 53
Acceptance: 12.0%
#21
N

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private

$98,403
2yr Earnings
1yr: $84,037
Grads: 46
Acceptance: 7.1%
#22
T

Tufts University

Medford, MA · Private

$97,959
2yr Earnings
1yr: $96,349
Grads: 97
Acceptance: 10.1%
#23
W

Williams College

Williamstown, MA · Private

$96,183
2yr Earnings
1yr: $109,470
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 10.0%
#24
W

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA · Private

$95,207
2yr Earnings
1yr: $86,601
Grads: 140
Acceptance: 58.5%
#25
R

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY · Private

$92,277
2yr Earnings
1yr: $83,880
Grads: 231
Acceptance: 58.5%
#26
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$91,986
2yr Earnings
1yr: $104,298
Grads: 117
Acceptance: 10.0%
#27
G

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA · Private

$91,744
2yr Earnings
1yr: $70,658
Grads: 36
Acceptance: 12.7%
#28
W

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA · Private

$91,744
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 17.4%
#29
U

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private

$91,211
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,918
Grads: 39
Acceptance: 4.8%
#30
G

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private

$88,639
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,493
Grads: 26
Acceptance: 13.1%
#31
U

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public

$86,972
2yr Earnings
1yr: $87,738
Grads: 521
Acceptance: 24.5%
#32
P

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · Public

$85,981
2yr Earnings
1yr: $81,749
Grads: 174
Acceptance: 50.3%
#33
U

University of Portland

Portland, OR · Private

$85,538
2yr Earnings
1yr: $68,456
Grads: 30
Acceptance: 95.4%
#34
B

Boston University

Boston, MA · Private

$84,994
2yr Earnings
1yr: $82,237
Grads: 135
Acceptance: 10.8%
#35
R

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY · Private

$84,653
2yr Earnings
1yr: $84,771
Grads: 152
Acceptance: 71.4%
#36
B

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private

$84,100
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,714
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 15.7%
#37
B

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT · Private

$83,848
2yr Earnings
1yr: $82,667
Grads: 116
Acceptance: 69.2%
#38
S

Seattle University

Seattle, WA · Private

$83,768
2yr Earnings
1yr: $82,122
Grads: 46
Acceptance: 76.0%
#39
E

Emory University

Atlanta, GA · Private

$83,177
2yr Earnings
1yr: $73,250
Grads: 33
Acceptance: 11.1%
#40
S

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ · Private

$83,177
2yr Earnings
1yr: $83,827
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 43.4%
#41
U

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY · Private

$83,177
2yr Earnings
1yr: $84,531
Grads: 71
Acceptance: 35.9%
#42
U

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA · Public

$81,554
2yr Earnings
1yr: $86,276
Grads: 80
Acceptance: 27.8%
#43
B

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA · Private

$80,309
2yr Earnings
1yr: $84,340
Grads: 71
Acceptance: 35.3%
#44
P

Portland State University

Portland, OR · Public

$80,186
2yr Earnings
1yr: $76,452
Grads: 138
Acceptance: 90.9%
#45
U

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT · Public

$79,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $71,033
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 53.9%
#46
U

University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus

Waterbury, CT · Public

$79,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $71,033
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 87.0%
#47
U

University of Connecticut-Avery Point

Groton, CT · Public

$79,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $71,033
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 86.5%
#48
U

University of Connecticut-Stamford

Stamford, CT · Public

$79,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $71,033
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 80.2%
#49
U

University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus

Hartford, CT · Public

$79,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $71,033
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 86.5%
#50
M

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$79,389
2yr Earnings
1yr: $73,698
Grads: 52
Acceptance: 64.7%

Showing top 50 of 312 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Construction Engineering $71,301 Systems Engineering $70,711 Computer Engineering $69,856 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $69,487 Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology $68,764 Computational Science $67,660

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Computer Science?
Carnegie Mellon University ranks #1 for Computer Science with median graduate earnings of $160,116 within two years. There are 312 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Computer Science graduates earn?
Computer Science graduates earn an average of $68,504 within two years of graduation. This is 93% above the median across all majors. Earnings range from $25,194 to $160,116 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Computer Science program?
The average acceptance rate across Computer Science programs is 68.1%. The most selective program is at Harvard University with a 3.5% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Computer Science?
Private Computer Science programs average $74,873 in early earnings vs $64,196 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

Get Computer Science Career Insights

We're building major-specific salary reports with ROI by school. Be the first to get yours.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.