Other degree levels for this field: Associate degrees · Certificates and diplomas · Master's degrees

This page shows what graduates with a bachelor's degree in Computer Software and Media Applications earn four years after graduating, what they typically owe, the schools that report these figures (listed alphabetically), and the occupations linked to this field by the federal CIP-to-SOC crosswalk. It covers 49 reporting units (schools, or groups of campuses that report together) with these figures.

Median earnings, 4 years after graduation
$58,894
All graduates nationally
Middle half of graduates nationally
$35,549–$88,211
25th to 75th percentile
Typical federal debt of graduates
$25,600
Median across reporting units

In context: across the 132 bachelor's-degree fields with earnings reported by at least 30 schools or school groups, the typical field's median is $58,911; this field's median of $58,894 is about the same as that. The middle half of its graduates differ by $52,662 (25th to 75th percentile), wider than the typical field's $36,476, so where a graduate lands within the field varies a lot. Typical federal debt of $25,600 is about 43% of one year of that median (debt and earnings cover different graduating years). These are group figures, not predictions for any graduate.

Schools reporting earnings for Computer Software and Media Applications graduates

Listed alphabetically to start; MajorPays does not rank schools. Click a column heading to sort; shift-click more headings to sort by several columns as a group. Median earnings four years after graduation, bachelor's degree, for programs with at least 30 graduates measured (33 reporting units; campuses that share one federal school ID report together and appear once). Schools with fewer graduates in the major, or whose figure the Department of Education withholds, are not listed.

SchoolStateMedian earnings, 4 years afterGraduates measured
Academy of Art UniversityCA$73,398138
AI Miami International University of Art and Design (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID)FL$44,268100
Atlantic UniversityPR$21,309101
Berklee College of MusicMA$40,18685
Brigham Young University-IdahoID$65,39764
Champlain CollegeVT$67,79541
Dakota State UniversitySD$42,51332
DeVry University-Arizona (reported together with 12 other campuses under one federal school ID)AZ$47,440170
Eastern Washington UniversityWA$46,10481
Florida Polytechnic UniversityFL$92,07067
Johnson & Wales University-Online (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID)RI$50,37448
Lindenwood UniversityMO$45,81072
Park UniversityMO$98,25644
Pennsylvania College of TechnologyPA$51,76441
Purdue University-Main CampusIN$59,766125
Rochester Institute of TechnologyNY$88,096154
Rocky Mountain College of Art and DesignCO$48,47251
School of Visual ArtsNY$67,483178
Southern New Hampshire UniversityNH$57,772111
Texas A&M University-College StationTX$59,76971
The Art Institute of Atlanta (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID)GA$36,146102
The Art Institute of Austin (reported together with 2 other campuses under one federal school ID)TX$45,71658
The New SchoolNY$75,792106
University of ArizonaAZ$61,89258
University of California-IrvineCA$69,98152
University of HoustonTX$51,59677
University of Michigan-Ann ArborMI$162,11445
University of Phoenix-ArizonaAZ$81,63653
University of Washington-Bothell Campus (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID)WA$71,46230
University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointWI$84,80939
University of Wisconsin-StoutWI$74,14648
Utah Valley UniversityUT$61,451121
Wilmington UniversityDE$50,72236

See every school that awarded bachelor's degrees in Computer Software and Media Applications in 2023-24, including schools that do not report earnings, with the number of degrees awarded (IPEDS Completions).

Occupations O*NET associates with this field

Occupations that U.S. Department of Labor O*NET data links to Computer Software and Media Applications programs, with each occupation's national median pay, projected job growth and yearly openings. They are listed in the order O*NET links them to this field; click a column heading to sort. This is a classification crosswalk, not evidence that graduates enter these jobs, and many of these occupations require more education, a license or experience beyond this credential. The figures describe the occupation, not the graduates of this major.

CareerMedian pay, 2025Projected growth, 2025–2035Openings per year
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$63,820-0.3%8,000
Computer Programmers$100,390-7.3%4,400
Data Scientists$120,230+34.6%24,800
Business Intelligence Analysts$120,230+34.6%24,800
Clinical Data Managers$120,230+34.6%24,800
Special Effects Artists and Animators$102,030-0.3%4,200
Graphic Designers$62,960-1.7%16,000
Computer and Information Systems Managers$175,140+15.8%53,500
Computer and Information Research Scientists$140,300+21.8%2,900
Database Administrators$104,620-0.1%3,300

Frequently asked questions

Does a Computer Software and Media Applications degree pay off?

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in Computer Software and Media Applications earn a median of $58,894 four years after graduating, and typically owe about $25,600 in federal loans. Earnings four years out are early-career pay, and they vary widely by school, job and place. Compare the pay with the cost of your own school on its graduate earnings page.

How much do college graduates earn overall?

See earnings by education level and by state.

Do Computer Software and Media Applications graduates work in their field?

The National Survey of College Graduates (2023) asked employed graduates whose highest degree is a bachelor's in computer and information sciences how closely their job relates to their degree. About 63% said closely related, 26% somewhat related and 11% not related (roughly 1.9 million graduates). This is a broad group of fields, not only Computer Software and Media Applications, and a job outside the field is not a bad outcome by itself.

Closely relatedSomewhat relatedNot related

Source: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Survey of College Graduates, 2023 (Table 1-3, bachelor's level, all occupations). Survey estimates, rounded by NSF. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; NSF has not approved or endorsed them.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data (June 2026 release), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution; careers from O*NET 31.0 by the U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Career pay, growth and openings: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025-2035). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; neither agency has approved or endorsed them. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. MajorPays has modified all or some of the O*NET information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Earnings are for graduates who received federal financial aid and were working and not enrolled four years after finishing (graduates of academic years 2014-15 and 2015-16, in 2021 dollars; the debt figures are for graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20); the data says nothing about how much a school added to its graduates' earnings.