U.S. median for this major: $100,157.
College Scorecard field of study; 210 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 13% 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 $24,591. College Scorecard.
PU 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 PU'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 | $5,098 | $21,717 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $6,241 | $26,587 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $9,438 | $40,206 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $18,177 | $77,434 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $22,742 | $96,881 | under 1 year |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (64% 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 ($146,685) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $111,151 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports Computer Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue University | $146,685 | $19,375 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 2 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | $123,753 | $24,500 | $42,513 | 78% |
| 3 | DePauw University | $120,076 | $26,500 | $22,264 | 75% |
| 4 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $114,199 | $20,417 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 5 | Taylor University | $108,812 | — | $24,865 | 74% |
| 6 | Indiana University-Southeast | $102,250 | — | $7,888 | 39% |
| 7 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $101,396 | $24,375 | $13,171 | 36% |
| 8 | Indiana University-South Bend | $99,574 | $27,400 | $8,653 | 40% |
| 9 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $94,380 | $25,000 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 10 | Valparaiso University | $94,111 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| 11 | Purdue University Northwest | $88,158 | — | $6,079 | 43% |
| 12 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $77,100 | $24,750 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 13 | Indiana University-Northwest | $49,084 | $22,116 | $5,130 | 37% |
16 more Indiana 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 PU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About PU
- Acceptance rate: 50% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 83% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $72,424
- Full cost breakdown · all 112 majors · overview
Related majors at PU
- Computer and Information Sciences$99,896
- Software and Media Applications$59,766
- Information Technology—
- Computer Engineering$121,462
PU Computer Science questions
How much do PU Computer Science graduates earn?
Computer Science graduates of Purdue University earn a median $146,685 four years after graduating and $94,786 one year after. The U.S. median for Computer Science graduates across 339 colleges is $100,157.
How much debt do PU Computer Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Computer Science graduates of Purdue University is $19,375, about 13% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,365.
Is PU a good school for Computer Science in Indiana?
On pay, Computer Science graduates of Purdue University earn $146,685 four years out, $45,289 above the median for the same major across 13 Indiana colleges ($101,396) and $46,528 above the U.S. median ($100,157). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does PU rank for Computer Science in Indiana?
Of 13 Indiana colleges reporting Computer Science graduate earnings, Purdue University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Computer Science graduates get?
A common career is software developer, with a median wage of $99,750 in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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: “Purdue University Computer Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/computer-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).