Data Science Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Interdisciplinary field combining statistics, computer science, and domain knowledge to extract insights from data.
Starting Salary
$78K
median
Mid-Career
$125K
salary
ROI Payback
3 yrs
avg payback
Unemployment
2.3%
rate
Data Science Overview
Interdisciplinary field combining statistics, computer science, and domain knowledge to extract insights from data.
Category
STEM
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Graduation Rate
70%
Enrollment Trend
growing
Online Available
Yes
Underemployment
10%
Lifetime Premium
$1100K
Female Graduates
30%
Data Science Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your actual return on investment based on school type and scholarships.
0 to $40K/year in aid
Est. Total Cost
$20,700
4-year tuition
Net Cost (w/ aid)
$20,700
after scholarships
ROI Payback
0 years
to break even
Lifetime Return
$1,079,300
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,100,000) minus net degree cost ($20,700)
Data Science Salary Progression
Common Data Science Careers
Data Scientist
Data Analyst
ML Engineer
Top Employers
Skills You'll Learn
Top Schools for Data Science
#1
MIT
#2
UC Berkeley
#3
Stanford
#4
University of Michigan
#5
NYU
Related Majors
Data Science Degree FAQ
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