ROI Major

Computer Science at Louisiana Tech University

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer Science degree from Louisiana Tech University earn a median salary of $91,260 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $98,873. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.3 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

$71,764

Typical Career

$91,260

Top Performers

$111,756

Estimated break-even: 4.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$608

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,605. Most students can comfortably afford about a $608 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 17.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.3%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.0%

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

$98,873

Nominal: $91,260 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

4.3 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 $44,549 $62,056 $78,677
5 Years After Graduation $71,764 $91,260 $111,756
10 Years After Graduation $89,616 $118,633 $156,115

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 $91,260 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $91,260 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $98,873 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Computer Science from Louisiana Tech University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $62,056, which increases to $91,260 after five years and reaches $118,633 after ten years. When adjusting for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $98,873.24 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries that Louisiana Tech Computer Science graduates enter include Educational Services (17.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.3%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.0%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 4.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a Computer Science degree appears favorable. This suggests that the degree not only provides a pathway to higher earnings but also positions graduates well within diverse and growing sectors.

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 Louisiana Tech 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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