Strong tech-sector wages, near-zero debt risk, and a labor market growing four times faster than average
Information science delivers some of the most favorable ROI numbers in undergraduate education. Bachelor's graduates earn $60,050 at year one and $81,985 by year four, per College Scorecard field-level data. At the 10-year mark, Census PSEO puts the median at $88,743 — with the top quartile reaching $119,107. The primary destination, software developers (SOC 15-1252), is projected to grow +15.8% through 2034, nearly four times the all-occupations average of +4.0%, with roughly 115k annual job openings. Debt is low relative to earnings: the institution-level median is $20,701, producing a bachelor's debt-to-income ratio of 0.345 — inside the healthy threshold of 0.40. One structural oddity worth naming upfront: master's completions (10,359) narrowly outpace bachelor's completions (9,290) in the most recent IPEDS data, meaning the field is as much a graduate credential as an undergraduate one. Students who stop at the bachelor's do fine; those who add a master's earn $81,278 at year one and $107,069 by year four. The degree works. The only real caveat is that 'information science' is a broad label — graduates land everywhere from UX design to database architecture to software development, and outcomes vary by specialization.
- ROI A
- Employment A
- Debt burden A−
- Projected demand A
The core tension in information science isn't whether it pays well — it clearly does. The question is which credential level makes sense, and whether 'information science' is specific enough to be a career plan or broad enough to be an open question. The field sits at the intersection of technology and organizational data management, which means graduates can land anywhere from UX design at a consumer startup to enterprise database architecture at a Fortune 500 company. That range is both the appeal and the ambiguity.
The headline numbers are strong. Software developers — the primary BLS destination for IS graduates — project +15.8% growth through 2034, nearly four times the all-occupations average of +4.0%, with roughly 115k annual openings per year. Census PSEO puts the 10-year median earnings for IS graduates at $88,743, with the top quartile reaching $119,107. The more unusual data point: master's completions in this field (10,359) now match and slightly exceed bachelor's completions (9,290) in IPEDS 2024 data — meaning this field has roughly equal output at entry and advanced levels, a structural credential pattern that matters when planning which degree to pursue. Federal debt figures aren't published at the field level for this CIP, so every debt figure here draws from institution-level averages across 467 IS-producing schools.
The rest of this page breaks down what each credential tier earns and costs, where graduates actually work across the occupation tiers, and which path makes sense given the data.
- ✓ Software developers (primary destination) project +15.8% growth through 2034 — nearly four times the all-occupations baseline of +4.0%.
- ✓ Bachelor's debt-to-income ratio is 0.345 — $20,701 debt vs. $60,050 year-1 earnings — inside the 0.40 healthy threshold.
- ✓ Census PSEO shows median 10-year earnings of $88,743, with the 75th percentile reaching $119,107.
- ✓ Software developers alone account for ~115k annual job openings; total across all IS-linked occupations reaches ~222k per year.
- ✓ IPEDS shows completions grew from 19,892 in 2023 to 22,098 in 2024, signaling strong and rising student demand meeting employer interest.
- ! Master's completions (10,359) now exceed bachelor's (9,290), signaling credential inflation in competitive tech markets.
- ! College Scorecard publishes no field-level debt for this CIP; all debt figures use institution-level averages across 467 schools.
- ! Associate's debt-to-income ratio is 0.449 — the same $20,701 debt against $46,128 year-1 earnings exceeds the healthy 0.40 threshold.
Where information science graduates actually land
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO)
Earnings by credential level
College Scorecard field-level earnings (years 1–4 post-grad, aggregated across institutions)
What it costs, what you earn, what's left over
Field-level debt data isn't published by College Scorecard for CIP 11.04. Every debt figure here is the institution-level average across 467 schools that produce information science credentials — meaning the $20,701 median collapses community colleges and elite research universities into the same number. That's a real limitation, particularly for graduate programs where actual borrowing is likely higher.
With that caveat noted, the debt picture is favorable. At the bachelor's level — 9,290 completions in 2024 — $20,701 in median debt against $60,050 in year-1 earnings produces a ratio of 0.345, inside the healthy threshold of 0.40. By year ten, Census PSEO puts the median at $88,743, giving bachelor's graduates a long runway to pay down any remaining balance. The associate's path is the exception: the same $20,701 debt against $46,128 in year-1 earnings produces a ratio of 0.449 — above the threshold, meaning associate's graduates start with a tighter margin than the data might suggest. The master's level is the most favorable on paper, with a ratio of 0.255 against $81,278 in year-1 earnings — though here the $20,701 debt figure almost certainly understates what graduate programs actually cost. The three-year loan default rate across IS-producing institutions is essentially zero, far below the roughly 3% Scorecard-wide average for four-year institutions. IS graduates repay their loans.
The credential paths that actually produce graduates
Scorecard field-level earnings + completions_by_program (most recent year) aggregated by credential tier
Associate's in Information Science
A two-year program covering database basics, networking fundamentals, web development, and IT support. Leads to roles like help-desk technician, junior web developer, or data-entry specialist. Year-1 median earnings are $46,128, rising to $62,348 by year four — and the debt-to-income ratio of 0.449 technically exceeds the healthy threshold using the institution-level fallback debt of $20,701.
- Completions / yr 1,044
- Year-1 earnings $46,128
- Year-4 earnings $62,348
- Median debt $18,296
- % women 21.6%
- Schools 116
Best as a transfer ramp into a bachelor's program, or for students who need to enter the workforce quickly with plans to complete a four-year degree part-time.
Bachelor's in Information Science (BS/BSIS)
The standard four-year degree covering information systems, database design, human-computer interaction, data analytics, and software development. Leads directly to software developer, systems analyst, database architect, and UX designer roles. Year-1 median earnings are $60,050, growing to $81,985 by year four, per College Scorecard field-level data.
- Completions / yr 9,290
- Year-1 earnings $60,050
- Year-4 earnings $81,985
- Median debt $25,782
- % women 30.2%
- Schools 309
The right entry point for most students — this is the credential the tech sector's entry-level market is built around, and it produces a healthy 0.345 debt-to-income ratio.
Master's in Information Science (MSIS/MS)
A one-to-two-year graduate program deepening expertise in data science, cybersecurity, AI systems, or information management. Year-1 median earnings jump to $81,278, reaching $107,069 by year four per College Scorecard — a substantial premium over the bachelor's trajectory. With 10,359 completions in 2024, it is actually the most-produced credential tier in this field.
- Completions / yr 10,359
- Year-1 earnings $81,278
- Year-4 earnings $107,069
- Median debt $47,631
- % women 42.5%
- Schools 183
Valuable for bachelor's graduates targeting senior technical roles, data science, or information management — especially if a specific employer or sector signals that a master's is the de facto admission price.
Doctoral
- Completions / yr 196
- Year-1 earnings —
- Year-4 earnings —
- Median debt $20,701
- % women 49.5%
- Schools 36
The bachelor's is the smart default entry point; the master's pays a real and measurable earnings premium for those who can finance it efficiently. The associate's degree makes sense only as a bridge, not a destination — its above-threshold debt-to-income ratio and lower earnings floor are a genuine trade-off that students should price in before stopping there.
The most striking thing about information science credential production is its symmetry at the top. Bachelor's completions reached 9,290 in 2024; master's completions reached 10,359 — making the master's the single largest credential tier produced in this field. This isn't the typical higher-education pattern, where the bachelor's dominates and graduate credentials are a small tail. Nearly half (47.8%) of all IS credentials produced annually are at the advanced level, which shapes the competitive landscape for bachelor's graduates entering the same job market.
The earnings gap between credential tiers is real and compounds over time. Associate's graduates earn $46,128 at year one and $62,348 at year four. Bachelor's graduates earn $60,050 at year one — a $13,922 premium at entry — and $81,985 by year four, a $19,637 gap. Master's graduates widen the spread further: $81,278 at year one and $107,069 at year four, roughly $25,000 ahead of bachelor's holders by the four-year mark. These are not marginal differences. The bridge path from associate's to bachelor's is structurally viable in information technology — many employers support part-time completion — but students choosing the associate's as a stopping point should price in a career that consistently earns $15,000–$20,000 per year less than their bachelor's-credentialed peers.
One demographic pattern worth noting: only 30.2% of bachelor's completers are women, while women account for 42.5% of master's completers — suggesting that graduate programs in this field attract a somewhat more gender-balanced cohort than the undergraduate pipeline. The associate's path skews most heavily male at just 21.6% women. Gender composition doesn't change the ROI math, but it can signal the culture and networking environment students are entering.
Who completes these degrees
IPEDS completions_by_program, most recent year, first-major only
- 2023 19,892
- 2024 22,098
Where graduates land professionally
BLS 2024–2034 Employment Projections via CIP-to-SOC crosswalk
| SOC | Occupation | Employed '24 | Growth | Openings/yr | Median wage | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-1252 | Software developers | 1.7M | +15.8% | 115k | $133,080 | Bachelor's degree |
| 11-3021 | Computer and information systems managers | 667k | +15.2% | 56k | $171,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| 15-1299 | Computer occupations, all other | 472k | +8.2% | 31k | $108,970 | Bachelor's degree |
| 15-1255 | Web and digital interface designers | 129k | +7.0% | 9.1k | $98,090 | Bachelor's degree |
| 15-1243 | Database architects | 67k | +8.7% | 4.0k | $135,980 | Bachelor's degree |
| 25-1021 | Computer science teachers, postsecondary | 45k | +5.3% | 3.5k | $96,690 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 15-1221 | Computer and information research scientists | 40k | +19.7% | 3.2k | $140,910 | Master's degree |
The primary destination for information science graduates is software developers (SOC 15-1252): 1,693.8k employed in 2024, a median wage of $133,080, and BLS 2024–2034 projected growth of +15.8% — nearly four times the all-occupations average of +4.0%. Software developers account for the dominant share of employment in this CIP's crosswalk, which means the typical IS graduate's baseline outlook is anchored to a genuinely strong labor market. Annual openings in this occupation alone run roughly 115k per year.
Within the advanced-practice tier, database architects (SOC 15-1243) and computer and information research scientists (SOC 15-1221) are worth flagging for students planning their 5–10 year trajectory. Database architects earn $135,980 at a median with +8.7% projected growth. Computer and information research scientists — the most research-intensive role in this set — earn $140,910 with a projected growth rate of +19.7%, the fastest in the entire occupation map. That role typically requires a master's degree, which connects cleanly to the field's high master's-level output. Web and digital interface designers (SOC 15-1255) are the lower-wage option at $98,090 with 7.0% projected growth — still above baseline, but representing a meaningfully different career ceiling.
The adjacent-roles tier is dominated by computer and information systems managers (SOC 11-3021): 667.1k employed, $171,200 median wage, and +15.2% projected growth — the highest-wage destination in this crosswalk and a realistic 8–12 year progression from entry-level IS roles. These are not entry-level positions, but they represent where IS graduates with management ambitions can realistically land. All primary and adjacent roles in this field require a bachelor's degree as typical education — the crosswalk is internally consistent.
Where demand is growing
State workforce agencies publish their own 10-year projections for software developers — growth varies sharply by state, and where you plan to live changes the calculus.
| Idaho | +50.0% | 0 openings/yr |
| Utah | +47.7% | 2,290 openings/yr |
| Texas | +46.7% | 12,350 openings/yr |
| Tennessee | +43.0% | 1,780 openings/yr |
| Mississippi | +42.9% | 300 openings/yr |
| Colorado | +39.4% | 4,460 openings/yr |
| South Carolina | +39.1% | 1,180 openings/yr |
| Wyoming | +38.8% | 70 openings/yr |
| California | 26,000/yr | +23.7% growth |
| Texas | 12,350/yr | +46.7% growth |
| Florida | 7,330/yr | +34.8% growth |
| Virginia | 6,920/yr | +21.4% growth |
| North Carolina | 5,360/yr | +32.3% growth |
Where software developers need a license
1 states and territories license software developers. The degree alone isn't the finish line — plan for the credential your state requires before you can practice.
Schools producing the most graduates
Volume, not quality — completion counts across all credentials. See our rankings pages for outcome-weighted school scores.
- 2,256
- 1,381
- 863
- 741
- 659
- 518
- 500
- 491
- 476
- 466
Pursue information science at the bachelor's level — the data is as clean as it gets for a four-year degree. Bachelor's graduates earn $60,050 at year one, $81,985 by year four, and $88,743 at the 10-year median per Census PSEO. The debt-to-income ratio of 0.345 sits comfortably inside the healthy threshold. The primary occupation — software developers — grows at +15.8% through 2034 with 115k annual openings, and the adjacent ceiling (CIS managers at $171,200) is reachable for those with management drive. The case for the bachelor's is not subtle.
The recommendation modifies for two types of students. First, anyone targeting data science, cybersecurity, or technical research roles: the master's degree pays a concrete premium ($81,278 vs. $60,050 at year one) and the labor market is clearly using it as a differentiator — master's completions now exceed bachelor's completions in IPEDS data. Finance the master's efficiently: employer tuition support, a funded program, or a short repayment window given the salary trajectory. Second, anyone considering stopping at the associate's degree: the debt-to-income ratio of 0.449 exceeds the healthy threshold even using the compressed institution-level debt figure, and the earnings floor ($62,348 at year four) leaves a persistent $19,637 annual gap versus bachelor's holders. The associate's is a viable bridge, not a destination. Students who find software development tedious or organizational systems uninteresting should reconsider regardless of salary — this field requires sustained technical engagement, and disengagement shows up in performance reviews faster than it shows up in job market statistics.
Informed inquiries
Does information science actually lead to software developer jobs, or is that just the crosswalk being optimistic?
The BLS CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps information science (CIP 11.04) to software developers as the primary destination, and the employment data backs it up: software developers employ 1,693.8k workers in 2024 with a median wage of $133,080, projected to grow +15.8% through 2034. That said, 'information science' covers a broader set of roles than a pure computer science degree — graduates also land in database architecture ($135,980 median), web and digital interface design ($98,090), and computer occupations spanning IT management and systems analysis. The realistic starting salary for an IS bachelor's graduate is $60,050 per year one College Scorecard data, not the $133,080 senior-developer median. Expect to take 4–8 years to work toward that ceiling if development is the goal.
Is a master's degree becoming required to be competitive in information science?
The data suggests credential pressure is real but not absolute. Master's completions in information science reached 10,359 in 2024, narrowly exceeding bachelor's completions at 9,290 — a near-parity between entry and advanced credentials that doesn't exist in most fields. The earnings premium is concrete: master's graduates earn $81,278 at year one versus $60,050 for bachelor's holders — a $21,228 gap — and $107,069 versus $81,985 at year four. The debt-to-income ratio at the master's level is 0.255 against the institution-level fallback debt of $20,701, which is favorable. However, field-level debt data for graduate IS programs is sparse — the $20,701 figure is almost certainly an undercount for master's students, who frequently attend higher-cost programs. A master's is not required for every IS role, but it is a clear differentiator for data science, cybersecurity, and information management positions.
How bad is the debt load for an information science degree?
It's low by nearly any measure — with an important caveat about data quality. College Scorecard does not publish field-level debt for information science programs, so the $20,701 figure is an institution-level average across all 467 schools that produce IS credentials. That number includes two-year community colleges and public four-year universities, which pulls it downward. Against year-one bachelor's earnings of $60,050, the debt-to-income ratio is 0.345 — comfortably inside the healthy threshold of 0.40. The three-year loan default rate across producing institutions is effectively 0%, against a national average of roughly 3% for four-year institutions. The associate's path is the outlier: the same $20,701 debt against $46,128 year-one earnings produces a 0.449 ratio, above the threshold. The master's ratio is the most favorable at 0.255, though the actual debt for a graduate program is likely higher than the institution-level fallback.
What are the highest-paying careers I can realistically reach with an information science degree?
Computer and information systems managers (SOC 11-3021) represent the ceiling most graduates can realistically reach without a separate advanced degree: 667.1k employed, $171,200 median wage, +15.2% projected growth through 2034. That's an adjacent destination — typically requiring 8–12 years of progression from entry-level IS roles. Within the core technical track, database architects earn $135,980 and computer and information research scientists earn $140,910, though the latter typically requires a master's degree. Computer and information research scientists also show the fastest growth in the entire occupation map at +19.7% through 2034. The 10-year PSEO median across all IS graduates is $88,743, with the 75th percentile reaching $119,107 — consistent with reaching mid-senior developer or architecture roles within a decade of graduation.
How does information science compare to computer science — is one degree smarter than the other?
Both degrees map to software developers as the primary BLS destination, so the labor market doesn't sharply distinguish them at the broad occupational level. The meaningful difference is in emphasis: computer science programs lean heavily into algorithms, theory, and systems programming; information science programs emphasize data management, human-computer interaction, information systems design, and organizational computing. IS graduates more commonly land in UX design, database architecture, IT management, and information systems roles; CS graduates skew toward core software engineering. The earnings data here covers CIP 11.04 (information science) specifically: bachelor's year-1 median is $60,050, rising to $81,985 at year four. Whether CS produces higher year-one earnings requires a separate data pull — but the same software developer primary occupation, at $133,080 median, is the ceiling both pathways are pointing toward.
Is the information science job market actually growing, or is AI going to compress it?
The BLS 2024–2034 projections — which account for automation trends as of 2024 — still project +15.8% growth for software developers, nearly four times the all-occupations average of +4.0%. That's 115k annual openings in the primary occupation alone. Computer and information research scientists, the most AI-adjacent research role in this crosswalk, project +19.7% growth — the fastest in the occupation map. The compression risk is real but appears to be hitting software developers' productivity and specific task types rather than headcount, at least through 2034 per BLS modeling. Adjacent management roles (CIS managers, +15.2%) show similar strength. The field is genuinely growing; the honest uncertainty is whether AI-driven productivity gains eventually suppress headcount in ways the current BLS projections don't fully capture.
Still exploring?
See every computer and information sciences and support services major with career paths and earnings.
Explore related majors →