ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at Georgia Southwestern State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Georgia Southwestern State University earn a median salary of $51,789 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,225. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.9 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$40,093

Typical Career

$51,789

Top Performers

$77,901

Estimated break-even: 10.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$345

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,316. Most students can comfortably afford about a $345 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 31.0%
Health Care & Social Assistance 22.7%
Finance & Insurance 6.0%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$57,225

Nominal: $51,789 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

10.9 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $27,994 $38,562 $50,148
5 Years After Graduation $40,093 $51,789 $77,901
10 Years After Graduation $42,660 $63,874 $88,614

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $51,789 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,789 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $57,225 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Computer and Information Sciences program at Georgia Southwestern State University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $38,562, which increases to $51,789 after five years and reaches $63,874 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $57,225.41, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Georgia.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (31.0%), Health Care & Social Assistance (22.7%), and Finance & Insurance (6.0%), reflecting a diverse range of opportunities. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.9 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment over time. Overall, pursuing a degree in Computer and Information Sciences at Georgia Southwestern State University appears to offer a favorable balance of earnings potential and industry demand.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Computer and Information Sciences, General degree at Georgia Southwestern State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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