U.S. median for this major: $100,157.
College Scorecard field of study; 296 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 7% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,365.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $88,140. College Scorecard.
Cornell University Computer Science: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Computer Science nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Cornell University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $1,776 | $7,282 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,070 | $16,687 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $6,796 | $27,864 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $14,311 | $58,675 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $49,992 | $204,967 | 1.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (87% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Computer Science graduates 4 years after graduating ($223,309) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $188,676 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Computer Science at New York colleges
Every New York college we cover that reports Computer Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | $223,309 | $14,698 | $28,690 | 95% |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $188,265 | $20,397 | $21,590 | 96% |
| 3 | Colgate University | $161,980 | $16,000 | $28,786 | 91% |
| 4 | University of Rochester | $155,464 | $19,000 | $29,278 | 85% |
| 5 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $141,528 | $23,250 | $36,228 | 84% |
| 6 | Rochester Institute of Technology | $135,702 | $27,000 | $34,906 | 70% |
| 7 | Binghamton University | $126,183 | $19,500 | $21,620 | 82% |
| 8 | Pace University | $117,835 | $20,750 | $30,892 | 60% |
| 9 | CUNY City College | $116,238 | $8,623 | $3,776 | 57% |
| 10 | CUNY Queens College | $112,903 | $13,500 | $4,195 | 53% |
| 11 | Marist University | $111,893 | $25,897 | $41,544 | 80% |
| 12 | University at Buffalo | $105,160 | $20,500 | $20,995 | 75% |
| 13 | Clarkson University | $103,132 | $25,990 | $30,305 | 75% |
| 14 | CUNY Hunter College | $102,321 | $8,250 | $2,984 | 57% |
| 15 | Ithaca College | $98,373 | $21,000 | $33,926 | 76% |
| 16 | College of Staten Island CUNY | $89,093 | $19,046 | $5,579 | 34% |
| 17 | Hofstra University | $88,137 | $26,000 | $34,176 | 69% |
| 18 | CUNY Lehman College | $85,351 | $13,317 | $3,148 | 51% |
| 19 | Touro University | $84,481 | — | $29,627 | 72% |
| 20 | CUNY York College | $73,044 | — | $4,456 | 32% |
27 more New York colleges offer Computer Science but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Computer Science graduates
Software developer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +15.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Data Scientists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Cornell University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Cornell University
- Acceptance rate: 9% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 95% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $104,043
- Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview
Related majors at Cornell University
Cornell University Computer Science questions
How much do Cornell University Computer Science graduates earn?
Computer Science graduates of Cornell University earn a median $223,309 four years after graduating and $152,656 one year after. The U.S. median for Computer Science graduates across 339 colleges is $100,157.
How much debt do Cornell University Computer Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Computer Science graduates of Cornell University is $14,698, about 7% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,365.
Is Cornell University a good school for Computer Science in New York?
On pay, Computer Science graduates of Cornell University earn $223,309 four years out, $110,911 above the median for the same major across 20 New York colleges ($112,398) and $123,152 above the U.S. median ($100,157). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Cornell University rank for Computer Science in New York?
Of 20 New York colleges reporting Computer Science graduate earnings, Cornell University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Computer Science graduates get?
A common career is software developer, with a median wage of $122,730 in the Ithaca, NY area and $135,980 nationally. Others include computer and information systems managers and data scientists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Cornell University Computer Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cornell-university/majors/computer-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).