ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at Ohio University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Ohio University earn a median salary of $61,018 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,723. The degree typically pays for itself in 8 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

$43,149

Typical Career

$61,018

Top Performers

$85,991

Estimated break-even: 8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$407

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,085. Most students can comfortably afford about a $407 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 28.2%
Educational Services 15.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.1%

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

$67,723

Nominal: $61,018 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

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 $33,669 $48,607 $69,277
5 Years After Graduation $43,149 $61,018 $85,991
10 Years After Graduation $48,276 $68,068 $98,282

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 $61,018 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $61,018 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $67,723 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Computer and Information Sciences from Ohio University experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $48,607, increasing to $61,018 five years post-graduation and reaching $68,068 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at approximately $67,722.53, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite the cost of living index in Ohio being lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (28.2%), Educational Services (15.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.1%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have multiple pathways to employment, enhancing their career flexibility. With an estimated break-even point of approximately eight years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable, making it a viable option for students considering their future career prospects.

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 Ohio 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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