{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOccupationalProgram","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-12","license":"Free to reuse with attribution: cite \"EducationGuide.com\" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university/majors/software-and-media-applications","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":178624,"cip4":"11.08","school_slug":"northwest-missouri-state-university","major_slug":"software-and-media-applications"},"school":{"name":"Northwest Missouri State University","city":"Maryville","state":"MO","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university.json"},"major":{"name":"Software and Media Applications","area":"Technology & Computing","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":51790,"median_earnings_4yr":48729,"median_debt":23250,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.477,"year":{"earnings_1yr":"Treasury AY2018-19, AY2019-20 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars","earnings_4yr":"Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars","debt":"NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort"},"source":"College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)"},"national":{"colleges_reporting":37,"median_earnings_4yr":61451,"median_debt":23394},"compared_with_same_major":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","state":{"geography":"MO","colleges_reporting":3,"median_earnings_4yr":48729,"difference":0},"us":{"colleges_reporting":37,"median_earnings_4yr":61451,"difference":-12722},"note":"State and U.S. medians are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major (4 years after graduating); a state median is published when at least 3 colleges in the state report earnings."},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.28,"finished_in_4_years":0.4347,"finished_within_6_years":0.5704,"cohort":1157,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":35438,"geography":"MO","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":7277,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":48729,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of this major's graduates 4 years after graduating (College Scorecard field of study); school-wide net price","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":13176,"cost_to_finish":56393,"payback_years":4.2,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"4.2 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":13447,"cost_to_finish":57553,"payback_years":4.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"4.3 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":13959,"cost_to_finish":59745,"payback_years":4.5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"4.5 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":17423,"cost_to_finish":74570,"payback_years":5.6,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"5.6 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":20796,"cost_to_finish":89007,"payback_years":6.7,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"6.7 years"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; payback_years = cost_to_finish / (earnings_used - baseline), one decimal; status over_cap above 20 years, no_premium when earnings do not exceed the baseline. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":2,"of":3,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":178721,"name":"Park University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":98256,"median_debt":19812,"net_price_average":21032,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.384,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/park-university/majors/software-and-media-applications"},{"ipeds_unitid":178624,"name":"Northwest Missouri State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":48729,"median_debt":23250,"net_price_average":16244,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.542,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university/majors/software-and-media-applications"},{"ipeds_unitid":177968,"name":"Lindenwood University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":45810,"median_debt":25717,"net_price_average":19638,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.493,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/lindenwood-university/majors/software-and-media-applications"}],"careers":[{"soc":"15-1252","title":"Software Developers","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":null,"median_wage_state":126120,"median_wage_us":135980,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":10.2,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"11-3021","title":"Computer and Information Systems Managers","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":null,"median_wage_state":159460,"median_wage_us":175140,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":15.8,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"15-2051","title":"Data Scientists","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":null,"median_wage_state":97090,"median_wage_us":120230,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":34.6,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"school_context":{"net_price_average":16244,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":13176,"30-48k":13447,"48-75k":13959,"75-110k":17423,"110k+":20796},"acceptance_rate":0.861,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.542,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}