What Computer Systems Analysis Graduates Earn
How much do Computer Systems Analysis bachelor's graduates earn?
The median Computer Systems Analysis bachelor's graduate starts at $61,471 and reaches $77,838 by year five in the federal Scorecard data (24 programs reporting at that horizon). Median debt at graduation: $42,724.
What Computer Systems Analysis actually returns, in federal numbers: median earnings at three horizons for 10,758 counted graduates, and the median debt those graduates carried out.
Updated November 5, 2026
Median earnings at 1, 4, and 5 years (College Scorecard)
Nothing on this page is a survey response or a recruiter's claim: the $61,471 year-one median and the $77,838 year-five median for Computer Systems Analysis come from federal earnings records pooled across 56 bachelor's programs. The headline median weights programs by graduates counted (5,719 at year one); the second column is the unweighted median program, printed so the method stays visible.
| Horizon | Median earnings (graduate-weighted) | Median program (unweighted) | Graduates counted | Share earning above the high-school threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year after graduation | $61,471 | $61,471 | 5,719 | 82.1% |
| 4 years after graduation | $71,675 | $71,675 | 9,229 | n/p |
| 5 years after graduation | $77,838 | $77,838 | 10,758 | 88.6% |
Five years out, the median graduate earns $77,838, which is $16,367 more than the year-one median of $61,471 (27% growth). Set against the median field overall ($45,010 at year one, $65,763 at year five), this field starts above the pack and ends above it.
By Pell status, the year-one medians for Computer Systems Analysis are $59,842 (received Pell) and $74,854 (did not), $15,012 apart. The split is a reminder that a field median averages over very different starting points; the institution a student picks inside the field moves their personal figure more than the field label does.
Inside its own CIP family, Computer Systems Analysis ranks 7 of 8 published bachelor's fields by five-year earnings; the family median at that horizon is $82,542. Its closest sibling is Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at $78,370, above this field's $77,838. Family comparisons strip out the broad field effect and leave the specific program choice exposed.
Ranked across all 182 published fields, Computer Systems Analysis stands number 57 by five-year earnings and number 49 by first-year earnings, and number 181 from the lowest median debt. Those three ranks together are the field's fingerprint: high earn rank with a low debt rank is the combination students are actually shopping for, and this field's spread between them is 124 places.
The debt side of the same degree
What does the median Computer Systems Analysis graduate owe? $42,724, the graduate-weighted median over 19 programs with published debt figures. The ratio that matters is debt to first-year earnings: 70%, or 8.3 months of gross pay at the $61,471 median. At the 2026-27 undergraduate loan rate of 6.52%, the standard decade of repayment is $486 a month with $15,543 of interest on top. Model a different balance in the student loan payoff calculator before you borrow it, and sanity-check the degree in the college major ROI calculator.
Where graduates of this field earn the most
Where a student studies inside this field matters at least as much as the field itself. These five programs post the strongest five-year medians in Computer Systems Analysis among programs with at least 30 graduates in the count, led by Texas Christian University at $132,409, against a national field median of $77,838.
| Institution | Median earnings, 5 years | Median earnings, 1 year | Median debt | Graduates counted (5yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Christian University | $132,409 | $84,225 | $17,497 | 30 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | $122,266 | $80,694 | $15,000 | 110 |
| University of Houston | $93,599 | $66,400 | $21,375 | 165 |
| Kent State University at Kent | $92,930 | $62,597 | $20,687 | 70 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | $87,911 | n/p | n/p | 73 |
A median is a middle graduate, not a promise: half of Texas Christian University's counted graduates earn less than $132,409. Weigh any program here against its own price using the net price estimator and the degree cost calculator.
Two more facts about the shape of this field: the five highest-paying programs in the table account for only 4.2% of the 10,758 graduates counted at five years, so the top of the table is a thin slice and not the field's center; and the leading program's five-year median of $132,409 sits 70% above the national field median of $77,838. Its median debt, $17,497, runs below the field median of $42,724, which is the trade a student at the top of this table is actually being offered.
Frequently asked questions
What do Computer Systems Analysis graduates earn at the start of their careers?
The one-year median is $61,471, pooled from 5,719 graduates counted. Four years out it is $71,675 and five years out $77,838.
What is the median student debt in Computer Systems Analysis?
$42,724 at graduation, across 19 programs reporting debt. Spread over the standard 10-year plan at 6.52%, that is $486 a month and $15,543 of interest.
How many programs report Computer Systems Analysis earnings data?
56 bachelor's programs carry the field in the Scorecard file; 21 report a one-year median, 25 a four-year median, and 24 a five-year median. Fields with fewer than 10 reporting at any horizon are not published on this site.
Where can I check the return on a Computer Systems Analysis degree?
Start with this page's ratio: $42,724 of median debt against $77,838 of five-year median earnings. Then run your own cost and borrowing through the college ROI calculator or the college major ROI calculator for a decision-grade answer.