ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at Temple College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from Temple College earn a median salary of $55,111 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $59,838. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.1 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$38,450

Typical Career

$55,111

Top Performers

$72,156

Estimated break-even: 11.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$367

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,593. Most students can comfortably afford about a $367 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.0%
Educational Services 12.8%
Retail Trade 6.7%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$59,838

Nominal: $55,111 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher 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).

11.1 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 $30,339 $39,919 $58,150
5 Years After Graduation $38,450 $55,111 $72,156
10 Years After Graduation $42,596 $57,867 $81,200

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 $55,111 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,111 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $59,838 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Computer and Information Sciences program at Temple College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $40,793, increasing to $52,479 five years post-graduation and reaching $56,877 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $56,980.46, indicating that graduates are likely to maintain a competitive financial standing relative to the broader market.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with significant percentages of 66.0%, 56.2%, and 42.0% respectively. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program and the growing demand for technology in health-related fields. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 11.9 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the program offers a solid career path with promising financial outcomes in a vital sector.

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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.