Bachelor's · Los Angeles, California

Is Computer and Information Sciences, General at University of California-Los Angeles worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 0.6 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $159,832; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $232,786; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $14,500; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $62k (likely $62k – $62k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $193k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 0.6 years (likely 0.6–0.7); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: $1.64M (likely $1.47M – $1.80M); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $3.88M (likely $3.43M – $4.33M); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 93%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 20%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Computer and Information Sciences, General at other schools

💻 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward computers & coding majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP Computer Science Principles
AP Computer Science A
AP Precalculus
AP Calculus AB or BC

IB Higher Level

Computer Science HL
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of California-Los Angeles

Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$228,705
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$223,358
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$190,499
Physics (Doctoral)$178,137
Law (First professional)$177,968
Engineering, General (Master's)$177,858
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$177,710
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$174,798
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$170,827
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering (Master's)$151,186
Materials Engineering (Master's)$146,629
Medicine (First professional)$143,434

Computer and Information Sciences, General at other schools in California

Northeastern University Oakland$163,708
University of California-Davis$138,673
Loyola Marymount University$127,011
University of California-Irvine$96,347
University of California-Berkeley$95,731
California Baptist University$93,038
California State University-Northridge$91,131
California State University-Chico$91,059
University of La Verne$90,694
San Diego State University$86,613