College Major ROI Calculator 2026

Pre-loaded BLS median salaries for 30+ majors. Real tuition data. Underemployment-adjusted projections vs HS-only, associate degree, and coding bootcamp paths.

Data sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 release, College Board Trends in College Pricing 2025-26, NY Fed Labor Market for Recent College Graduates 2025, Course Report 2026 Bootcamp Outcomes.

Your Inputs

College Major

BLS SOC: 15-1252 Software Developers

School Type

4-year program, $13,500/yr living costs

Total Scholarship / Grant ($)

Subtract grants, scholarships, family contribution

Student Loan Rate (%)

Federal Direct Subsidized 2025-26: 6.53%

Projection Horizon (years)

40 = full career age 22-62

Total Out-of-Pocket

$101K

Tuition $47K + living $54K

Lifetime Premium vs HS Only

$2,289K

40-year horizon, after costs

ROI %

2262%

Premium ÷ tuition cost

Verdict for Computer Science + Public, In-State

EXCELLENT: top-decile ROI by major + cost combination.

Effective expected entry salary: $63,960 (median $78,000 × 82% employment-in-field rate per NY Fed)

Effective mid-career: $116,440 (75th percentile median $142,000)

Comparison vs Alternative Paths

Path	Lifetime Earnings (40y)	Break-even vs HS	Net vs Bachelor
Bachelor in Computer Science	$4,687K	Year 13	—
High School Only	$2,397K	Y0 (baseline)	-$2,289K
Associate Degree (CC)	$2,878K	Year 11	-$1,809K
Coding Bootcamp (6mo)	$3,839K	Year 3	-$847K

HS-only baseline: $38,000 entry, 2.2% growth (BLS). Associate: $46,000 entry. Bootcamp: $72,000 × 82% retention factor (Course Report 2026 attrition).

Year-by-Year Cumulative Earnings

Year	Age	Bachelor	HS Only	Associate	Bootcamp
1	19	-$101K	$38K	$8K	$15K
2	20	-$101K	$77K	$16K	$74K
3	21	-$101K	$117K	$62K	$134K
4	22	-$101K	$157K	$109K	$196K
5	23	-$37K	$199K	$157K	$260K
7	25	$102K	$284K	$257K	$392K
10	28	$338K	$420K	$417K	$602K
15	33	$803K	$667K	$712K	$990K
20	38	$1,367K	$942K	$1,045K	$1,428K
25	43	$2,023K	$1,249K	$1,422K	$1,924K
30	48	$2,783K	$1,591K	$1,849K	$2,486K
35	53	$3,665K	$1,972K	$2,332K	$3,121K
40	58	$4,687K	$2,397K	$2,878K	$3,839K

Methodology — How We Calculate ROI

1. Salary baseline. We pull median entry-level (10th percentile) and mid-career (75th percentile) wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 release for the most-occupied SOC code per major. Computer science maps to 15-1252 Software Developers; nursing to 29-1141 Registered Nurses; etc.

2. Underemployment adjustment. The NY Fed Labor Market for Recent College Graduates dataset (2025) tracks the share of bachelor-degree holders working in jobs that require a degree. We apply this multiplier (0.28 to 0.94 across our 30+ majors) so projections reflect what graduates actually earn — not the median for fully-employed-in-field workers.

3. Wage growth. 3.0% nominal annual growth (BLS Employment Cost Index 2020-2025 average). HS-only earners grow at 2.2% (slower because of lower automation resistance per Brookings 2024 task analysis).

4. Loan interest. Tuition portion is amortized over 10 years at the input rate (default 6.5% — current Federal Direct Subsidized rate). Annual interest is deducted from bachelor income years 5-14.

5. Mid-career blend. Years 5-19 of career: linear blend from entry to mid-career wage. Years 20+: 3% growth on mid-career level.

6. Bootcamp retention. Course Report 2026 grad survey reports 18% of bootcamp grads exit tech within 5 years. We apply the inverse (0.82 multiplier) to lifetime bootcamp earnings.

What we do NOT model: Graduate school adders (MBA, law, MD), regional cost-of-living adjustments, marriage premium / married-filing-jointly tax effects, employer-provided benefits valuation, retirement contribution matching. For those layers, run our companion calculators.

Top 5 Highest-ROI Majors (Public In-State Default)

Rank	Major	Effective Entry Salary	Effective Mid Career	Underemployment
1	Petroleum Engineering	$84,640	$136,160	92%
2	Nursing (BSN)	$70,500	$90,240	94%
3	Computer Engineering	$69,700	$117,300	85%
4	Aerospace Engineering	$68,640	$116,160	88%
5	Electrical Engineering	$66,880	$112,640	88%

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does ROI vary so much by major?

Median starting salaries vary from about $38,000 (early childhood education) to $90,000+ (computer science, engineering) per BLS OEWS 2025. With identical tuition costs, that 2.4x salary gap compounds across a 40-year career into a $1.5M+ lifetime earnings difference.

How are the salary numbers sourced?

Median entry-level (10th percentile) and mid-career (75th percentile) wages come from BLS OEWS May 2025 release for the most common SOC code occupied by graduates of each major. Lifetime earnings premium uses Census Bureau ACS PUMS data adjusted for the bachelor degree completion rate per Georgetown CEW.

Does the calculator account for unemployment risk?

Yes. We apply a major-specific underemployment multiplier (0.55 to 0.95) based on Federal Reserve Bank of New York data tracking what share of graduates work in jobs requiring a degree. Petroleum engineering: 0.92. Liberal arts: 0.58. The effective expected salary is median × underemployment factor.

How is the bootcamp comparison calculated?

Bootcamp baseline assumes $15,000 tuition + 6 months opportunity cost vs the major's 4-year tuition + 4 years opportunity cost. Bootcamp salary uses Course Report 2026 graduate survey median ($72,000) with 18% multi-year retention discount. Math: bootcamp grads earn 4 extra years of income but cap out lower mid-career.

Are these numbers nominal or inflation-adjusted?

Salaries grow 3.0% annually (BLS Employment Cost Index 2020-2025 average). Costs are present-day dollars. Year 0 is age 22 graduation. All calculations use real (inflation-neutral) dollar logic with COL/wage growth offsetting one another.