ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at Colorado State University-Pueblo

CO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Colorado State University-Pueblo earn a median salary of $62,818 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $59,770. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$37,841

Typical Career

$62,818

Top Performers

$82,185

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$419

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,235. Most students can comfortably afford about a $419 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Colorado buys what costs $1.05 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.3%
Educational Services 20.8%
Public Administration 11.9%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$59,770

Nominal: $62,818 in Colorado (COL 105.1% of national avg) · 4.9% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

7.5 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $37,341 $46,532 $66,619
5 Years After Graduation $37,841 $62,818 $82,185
10 Years After Graduation $52,636 $79,368 $114,157

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $62,818 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CO, which has a cost-of-living index of 105.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,818 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0510) = $59,770 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Computer and Information Sciences program at Colorado State University-Pueblo can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $46,532, which increases to $62,818 after five years and reaches $79,368 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $59,769.74, indicating that while the cost of living in Colorado is slightly higher (COL index of 1.051), the earnings potential remains competitive.

The program's graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (23.3%), Educational Services (20.8%), and Public Administration (11.9%). With an estimated break-even point of about 7.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. The diverse industry entry points also suggest a robust job market, enhancing the overall career prospects for graduates.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Computer and Information Sciences, General degree at Colorado State University-Pueblo stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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