Data Science Degree in Boston, MA — Salary & ROI 2026
Data Science degree analysis for Boston, MA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$112K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$171K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.8 yrs
in Boston
Cost of Living
137
index (100 = avg)
Data Science in Boston, MA Overview
Boston is one of Massachusetts's top college towns, with 24 institutions and a student population of 40,388. Public tuition averages $14,167/year here — near the national average for public universities. Data Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Python and Machine Learning skills. The adjusted starting salary in Boston is approximately $112,340, growing to $171,250 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
24
Public Tuition
$14,167/yr
Private Tuition
$60,730/yr
Room & Board
$14,423/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,458/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
56%
Data Science Salary in Boston (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Boston's cost of living index of 137 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Data Science salary: $82,000 starting, $125,000 mid-career, $155,000 senior level.Boston adjustment factor: 1.37x based on the local cost of living index.
Data Science ROI Calculator for Boston
Estimate your return on investment for a Data Science degree using local Boston tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,167 | Private avg: $60,730
Boston avg aid: $10,458/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$114,360
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$64,390
vs HS diploma in Boston
ROI Payback Period
1.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Boston
$1,392,640
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,507,000) minus total education cost ($114,360)
Student Loan Payoff for Data Science in Boston
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Boston for Data Science
Boston University
private
$62,360/yr
$249,440 total
Northeastern University
private
$59,100/yr
$236,400 total
University of Massachusetts Boston
public
$14,167/yr
$56,668 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Bunker Hill Community College
$5,760/yr
Roxbury Community College
$5,280/yr
Top Employers for Data Science in Boston
Boston offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Data Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Boston Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Data Science Job Titles
Data Science in Nearby Massachusetts Cities
Worcester, MA
$96K starting · COL 117
11 colleges
Springfield, MA
$109K starting · COL 133
6 colleges
Cambridge, MA
$109K starting · COL 133
6 colleges
Lowell, MA
$92K starting · COL 112.5
5 colleges
Brockton, MA
$89K starting · COL 108.5
5 colleges
Quincy, MA
$105K starting · COL 128.5
4 colleges
New Bedford, MA
$84K starting · COL 102.5
4 colleges
Lynn, MA
$97K starting · COL 118.5
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Boston
Prompt Engineering
$69K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$130K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$116K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$121K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$110K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$69K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Data Science Degree in Boston — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Data Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Boston.