ROI Major

Computer Science at Georgia State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer Science degree from Georgia State University earn a median salary of $99,737 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $110,207. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.8 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$75,268

Typical Career

$99,737

Top Performers

$126,752

Estimated break-even: 3.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$665

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $8,311. Most students can comfortably afford about a $665 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.3x 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: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.0%
Educational Services 13.4%

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

$110,207

Nominal: $99,737 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).

3.8 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 $47,848 $68,848 $84,052
5 Years After Graduation $75,268 $99,737 $126,752
10 Years After Graduation $94,069 $121,419 $152,658

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 $99,737 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)
= $99,737 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $110,207 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Computer Science degree from Georgia State University experience a significant earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $68,848, which increases to $99,737 five years post-graduation and reaches $121,419 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation adjust to a national equivalent of $110,206.63, reflecting a competitive position in the job market despite the cost-of-living index in Georgia being lower than the national average.

The top industries that Georgia State Computer Science graduates enter include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.0%), and Educational Services (13.4%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 3.8 years, indicating a relatively quick return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field. Overall, the data suggests a favorable outlook for graduates in terms of both earnings and career opportunities.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Computer Science degree at Georgia 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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