ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at Youngstown State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Youngstown State University earn a median salary of $58,311 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $64,718. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.5 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$45,489

Typical Career

$58,311

Top Performers

$73,761

Estimated break-even: 8.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$389

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,859. Most students can comfortably afford about a $389 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x 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, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.0%
Educational Services 19.6%
Manufacturing 9.2%

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

$64,718

Nominal: $58,311 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).

8.5 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 $31,312 $42,418 $54,368
5 Years After Graduation $45,489 $58,311 $73,761
10 Years After Graduation $57,570 $76,770 $101,874

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 $58,311 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)
= $58,311 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $64,718 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Computer and Information Sciences program at Youngstown State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $42,418, which increases to $58,311 after five years and reaches $76,770 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary is approximately $64,718.09, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living in Ohio, where the cost of living index is lower than the national average.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with the top industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (24.0%), Educational Services (19.6%), and Manufacturing (9.2%). With an estimated break-even point of about 8.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment appears favorable. This suggests that pursuing a degree in Computer and Information Sciences at Youngstown State University can lead to a solid financial foundation and career growth in various sectors.

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 Youngstown 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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