2021 Highest Paid Computer Science Graduates
Finding the Best Computer Science School for You
In 2018-2019, 31,737 people earned their bachelor's in computer science, making the major the #18 most popular in the United States.
The compsci school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Highest Paid CompSci Graduates.
This year's Highest Paid Computer Science Graduates ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in compsci.
The numbers used in this ranking are early career salaries, which we define to be 10 years after a student started college. This is the salary typically earned 4-6 years after graduation, but may be different depending on how long a person takes to complete their degree.
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How Much Do Computer Science Majors Make After Graduation?
After graduation, computer science majors from schools in the United States earn an average salary of $66,348 per year. This means that graduates with bachelor's degrees in this field make 67% more than the average college graduate salary of $39,802.
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2021 Highest Paid Computer Science Grads in the United States
Below you'll see a list of the colleges and universities that produce the highest paid computer science majors.
Top 25 Best Schools for Highly Paid CompSci Graduates
Brown University comes in at #1 in this year's ranking. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Providence. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in compsci from the school is $141,100.
The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Brown take out while working on their bachelor's is $12,972. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $134.
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Carnegie Mellon University landed the #2 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, compsci majors make an average salary of $138,900.
The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Carnegie Mellon take out while working on their bachelor's is $20,007. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $213.
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Harvard University comes in at #3 in this year's ranking. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $128,900.
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United States Naval Academy earned the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large suburb of Annapolis, Annapolis is a public school with a small student population.
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Stanford University landed the #4 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Stanford. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $126,400.
The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Stanford take out while working on their bachelor's is $15,013. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $156.
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Harvey Mudd College landed the #5 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Claremont. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, compsci majors make an average salary of $124,500.
CompSci majors at Harvey Mudd College take out an average of $20,955 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $250, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Our rankings recognize Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the #6 school in this year's rankings. MIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $118,100.
After completing their bachelor's degree, compsci graduates from MIT carry an average student debtload of $13,372. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $128, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Cornell University landed the #7 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in compsci from the school is $116,300.
CompSci majors at Cornell take out an average of $13,134 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $140.
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University of California - Berkeley earned the #8 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, compsci majors make an average salary of $114,800.
CompSci majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $14,249 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $139.
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University of Pennsylvania earned the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in compsci from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $109,200.
CompSci majors at UPenn take out an average of $17,916 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree.
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Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology comes in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Terre Haute, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in compsci from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $107,800.
CompSci majors at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology take out an average of $21,225 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $259.
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The #11 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Dartmouth College. Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in compsci from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $100,500.
On average, compsci graduates from Dartmouth take out $13,117 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $127, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Duke University earned the #12 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, compsci majors make an average salary of $99,600.
The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Duke take out while working on their bachelor's is $9,795. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $82.
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The #13 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Vanderbilt University. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in compsci from the school is $97,800.
While working on their bachelor's, compsci majors at Vanderbilt accumulate an average of around $13,704 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $125.
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The #14 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. Students who receive their bachelor's in compsci from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $96,400.
On average, compsci graduates from Columbia take out $18,214 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $156.
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Our rankings recognize California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo as the #15 school in this year's rankings. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a very large student population.
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Washington University in St Louis landed the #15 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $96,200.
While working on their bachelor's, compsci majors at WUSTL accumulate an average of around $14,442 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $141.
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Our rankings recognize University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign as the #16 school in this year's rankings. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in compsci from the school is $92,200.
On average, compsci graduates from UIUC take out $18,818 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $202, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #17 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the large city of Seattle. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $92,000.
On average, compsci graduates from UW Seattle take out $15,680 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $162.
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Our rankings recognize University of Washington - Bothell Campus as the #18 school in this year's rankings. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Bothell. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $92,000.
The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at University of Washington - Bothell Campus take out while working on their bachelor's is $15,680. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $162.
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. RPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, compsci majors make an average salary of $91,900.
The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at RPI take out while working on their bachelor's is $23,034. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $270.
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Our rankings recognize United States Air Force Academy as the #20 school in this year's rankings. Located in the town of USAF Academy, USAFA is a public college with a small student population.
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The #20 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Williams College. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Williamstown. CompSci majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $91,000.
After completing their bachelor's degree, compsci graduates from Williams carry an average student debtload of $13,600. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $156.
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Bowdoin College earned the #21 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the town of Brunswick, Bowdoin is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, compsci majors make an average salary of $88,700.
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Colgate University landed the #22 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid computer science school. Located in the town of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their bachelor's, compsci majors at Colgate accumulate an average of around $12,362 in student debt.
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Request InformationRest of the Top Schools for Highest Paid Computer Science Graduates
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Highest Paid Computer Science Graduates award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Clarkson University | Potsdam, NY |
| 34 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 35 | Portland State University | Portland, OR |
| 36 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 37 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC |
| 38 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
| 39 | Brigham Young University - Idaho | Rexburg, ID |
| 40 | Stevens Institute of Technology | Hoboken, NJ |
| 41 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 42 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL |
| 43 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 54 | Pomona College | Claremont, CA |
| 56 | Anderson University Indiana | Anderson, IN |
| 58 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 60 | University of Denver | Denver, CO |
| 62 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | Socorro, NM |
| 63 | College of Saint Benedict | Saint Joseph, MN |
| 64 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
| 67 | Catholic University of America | Washington, DC |
| 68 | The College of Wooster | Wooster, OH |
| 70 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 71 | American University | Washington, DC |
Computer Science by Region
View the Highest Paid Computer Science Graduates for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to CompSci
One of 10 majors within the Computer & Information Sciences area of study, Computer Science has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Information Systems | 36,674 |
| Information Science | 9,118 |
| Information Technology | 7,229 |
| Computer Software & Applications | 3,499 |
| Computer Programming | 1,560 |
View All CompSci Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Negative Space.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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