Duke University Computer Science: earnings, debt & careers

Computer Science graduates of Duke University earn a median $195,809 four years after graduating ($133,356 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $13,500. That is $95,652 above the U.S. median for Computer Science graduates ($100,157 across 339 colleges), and ranks 1st of 17 North Carolina colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$195,809

U.S. median for this major: $100,157.

College Scorecard field of study; 167 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$133,356

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$13,500

About 7% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,365.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$29,612 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $87,072. College Scorecard.

Duke University Computer Science: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Duke University graduates$195,809
North Carolina median (17 colleges)$93,037 (+$102,772)
U.S. median (339 colleges)$100,157 (+$95,652)

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 Duke University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$735$3,006under 1 year
$30–48k$0$0under 1 year
$48–75k$5,706$23,338under 1 year
$75–110k$17,100$69,939under 1 year
$110k+$54,230$221,8011.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (88% 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 ($195,809) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $162,293 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 North Carolina colleges

Every North Carolina college we cover that reports Computer Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Duke University$195,809$13,500$29,61297%
2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$137,047$14,131$11,65591%
3Wake Forest University$115,493$20,674$28,71989%
4North Carolina State University at Raleigh$113,478$21,073$17,30385%
5North Carolina A & T State University$105,342$26,302$10,84657%
6East Carolina University$98,406$27,000$15,73963%
7Appalachian State University$97,670$22,500$16,83675%
8Winston-Salem State University$94,298$30,721$13,47947%
9University of North Carolina at Charlotte$93,037$23,250$15,43569%
10University of North Carolina Wilmington$88,219$24,819$20,10971%
11University of North Carolina Asheville$88,084$23,970$12,25054%
12Western Carolina University$86,853$27,000$13,31560%
13University of North Carolina at Greensboro$86,372$25,000$10,96556%
14University of North Carolina at Pembroke$80,579$27,000$10,26044%
15Elizabeth City State University$68,723—$6,36444%
16Gardner-Webb University$68,175—$17,67455%
17Fayetteville State University$36,164$27,000$7,89238%

7 more North Carolina colleges offer Computer Science but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Computer Science graduates

Software developer

Durham area$135,620
North Carolina$134,710
U.S.$135,980

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Computer and Information Systems Managers

Durham area$176,190
North Carolina$172,860
U.S.$175,140

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +15.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Data Scientists

Durham area$106,500
North Carolina$119,090
U.S.$120,230

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 Duke University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Duke University

Related majors at Duke University

Duke University Computer Science questions

How much do Duke University Computer Science graduates earn?

Computer Science graduates of Duke University earn a median $195,809 four years after graduating and $133,356 one year after. The U.S. median for Computer Science graduates across 339 colleges is $100,157.

How much debt do Duke University Computer Science graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Computer Science graduates of Duke University is $13,500, about 7% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,365.

Is Duke University a good school for Computer Science in North Carolina?

On pay, Computer Science graduates of Duke University earn $195,809 four years out, $102,772 above the median for the same major across 17 North Carolina colleges ($93,037) and $95,652 above the U.S. median ($100,157). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Duke University rank for Computer Science in North Carolina?

Of 17 North Carolina colleges reporting Computer Science graduate earnings, Duke University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Computer Science graduates get?

A common career is software developer, with a median wage of $135,620 in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 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
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Cite this: “Duke University Computer Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/duke-university/majors/computer-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).