Data Science Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Interdisciplinary field combining statistics, computer science, and domain knowledge to extract insights from data.
Starting Salary
$82K
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
Data Sources: Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment and graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES/IPEDS). Tuition estimates based on College Board Annual Survey of Colleges. Last updated March 2026.
Data Science Programs by City
Tuition, salary outcomes, and cost of living for data science programs vary by city. See your local numbers:
Compare All College Majors
Analyze ROI, salary potential, and career outcomes for 150+ college majors.