Artificial Intelligence graduates pursue 8 occupations, with top roles paying $175,140/yr or more. The career cards below break down wages, daily tasks, and 10-year job growth projections for each.
This page covers Artificial Intelligence as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Computer Science and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
A program that focuses on the symbolic inference, representation, and simulation by computers and software of human learning and reasoning processes and capabilities, and the computer modeling of human motor control and motion. Includes instruction in computing theory, cybernetics, human factors, natural language processing, and applicable aspects of engineering, technology, and specific end-use applications.
Of the 1,271 students who complete Artificial Intelligence programs each year, the majority (76%) earn a master's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Artificial Intelligence graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Computer & Information Systems Manager pays the most at $175,140/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what a Computer & Information Systems Manager earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Not sure where to study Artificial Intelligence? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Carnegie Mellon University, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA · Nonprofit | 239 | 11.7% | $31,944 | $114,862 |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA · Nonprofit | 98 | 5.4% | $28,699 | $111,371 |
| 3 | University of North Texas Denton, TX · Public | 76 | 72.2% | $15,649 | $57,010 |
| 4 | Northeastern University Boston, MA · Nonprofit | 55 | 5.2% | $30,915 | $92,538 |
| 5 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA · Public | 52 | 84.6% | $13,760 | $78,988 |
| 6 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public | 48 | 39.2% | $14,091 | $78,466 |
| 7 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Nonprofit | 45 | 9.8% | $32,740 | $92,498 |
| 8 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL · Nonprofit | 45 | 54.9% | $18,425 | $82,592 |
| 9 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Nonprofit | 41 | 7.7% | $29,167 | $89,363 |
| 10 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL · Public | 37 | 66.1% | $8,752 | $56,746 |
| 11 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA · Nonprofit | 35 | 52.4% | $30,365 | $86,522 |
| 12 | Gannon University Erie, PA · Nonprofit | 33 | 74.2% | $22,553 | $58,845 |
| 13 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD · Nonprofit | 29 | 6.4% | $18,809 | $87,555 |
| 14 | University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO · Public | 25 | 62.7% | $15,071 | $53,037 |
| 15 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY · Nonprofit | 24 | 66.9% | $34,906 | $76,571 |
| 16 | Boston University Boston, MA · Nonprofit | 22 | 11.1% | $24,402 | $83,238 |
| 17 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA · Nonprofit | 19 | 40.5% | $35,736 | $77,231 |
| 18 | Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI · Nonprofit | 19 | 58.9% | $22,453 | $89,070 |
| 19 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public | 16 | 85.3% | $25,648 | $54,810 |
| 20 | Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI · Nonprofit | 16 | 78.2% | $36,201 | $56,075 |
Ranked by Artificial Intelligence graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of an Artificial Intelligence program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if an Artificial Intelligence degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
The data on Artificial Intelligence shows 2 measurable strengths and 0 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
