ROI Major

Information Science/Studies at Texas State Technical College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.04

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Information Science/Studies degree from Texas State Technical College earn a median salary of $51,223 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,617. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.5 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$38,202

Typical Career

$51,223

Top Performers

$69,318

Estimated break-even: 12.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$341

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,269. Most students can comfortably afford about a $341 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%
Manufacturing 13.3%
Educational Services 9.4%

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

$55,617

Nominal: $51,223 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).

12.5 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 $25,701 $33,932 $44,700
5 Years After Graduation $38,202 $51,223 $69,318
10 Years After Graduation $43,603 $59,187 $84,541

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 $51,223 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)
= $51,223 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $55,617 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Information Science/Studies program at Texas State Technical College experience a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $33,932 one year after graduation, increasing to $51,223 after five years, and reaching $59,187 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to approximately $55,616.72 nationally, indicating that graduates can expect competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living index in Texas (0.921).

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 50.8% entering this field, followed by 24.1% and 13.4% in similar roles. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 12.5 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Information Science/Studies appears favorable, particularly in light of the strong demand for professionals in the health care industry. This suggests a solid career outlook for graduates in this field.

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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.