Bachelor's · Washington, District of Columbia

Is Computer Science at American University worth it?

Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 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 2.9 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: Not enough graduates to report; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $125,987; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $20,983; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $175k (likely $175k – $175k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $84k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in DC; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 2.9 years (likely 2.2–4.2); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: $466k (likely $203k – $762k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $1.42M (likely $870k – $2.04M); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 75%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26