ROI Major

Computer and Information Sciences, General at University of Maine - Augusta

ME · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 11.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer and Information Sciences, General degree from University of Maine - Augusta earn a median salary of $68,758 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ME, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $60,420. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.3 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$53,989

Typical Career

$68,758

Top Performers

$89,996

Estimated break-even: 6.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$458

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,730. Most students can comfortably afford about a $458 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Maine buys what costs $1.14 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 34.8%
Educational Services 17.0%
Public Administration 11.8%

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

$60,420

Nominal: $68,758 in Maine (COL 113.8% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

6.3 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 $39,684 $53,804 $70,965
5 Years After Graduation $53,989 $68,758 $89,996
10 Years After Graduation $61,456 $83,978 $102,435

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 $68,758 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ME, which has a cost-of-living index of 113.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $68,758 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1380) = $60,420 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 the University of Maine - Augusta experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $53,804, which increases to $68,758 after five years and reaches $83,978 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $60,420.04, indicating that while graduates may face a higher cost of living in Maine (COL index of 1.138), their earnings still reflect a solid return on investment over time.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (34.8%), Educational Services (17.0%), and Public Administration (11.8%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have various career paths available to them, enhancing job security and opportunities. With an estimated break-even point of around 6.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the overall return on investment for pursuing a degree in Computer and Information Sciences appears favorable, particularly given the stable demand in these industries.

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See how the Computer and Information Sciences, General degree at University of Maine - Augusta stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.