ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at Texas Southmost College

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Texas Southmost College earn a median salary of $62,662 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $68,037. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.8 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$50,636

Typical Career

$62,662

Top Performers

$78,372

Estimated break-even: 6.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$418

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,222. Most students can comfortably afford about a $418 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 56.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.9%
Public Administration 6.1%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$68,037

Nominal: $62,662 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

6.8 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 $38,509 $55,935 $64,768
5 Years After Graduation $50,636 $62,662 $78,372
10 Years After Graduation $59,211 $78,843 $107,201

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 $62,662 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,662 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $68,037 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Computer and Information Sciences program at Texas Southmost College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $55,935, which increases to $62,662 after five years and reaches $78,843 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to approximately $68,036.92 nationally, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite regional cost-of-living differences.

The program prepares students for diverse career paths, with the majority entering Educational Services (56.1%), followed by Health Care & Social Assistance (15.9%) and Public Administration (6.1%). With an estimated break-even point of about 6.8 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable. Overall, graduates can expect solid career opportunities and a reasonable timeline for financial recovery from their educational investment.

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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.