Data Processing graduates earn $75,978 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 34.6%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Data Scientist is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Data Processing 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.
Data Processing is a focused area of study within Computer Science. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $75,978 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 133 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 1,927 students complete it each year, most walking away with a associate's. Coursework leans technical and quantitative, with lab or project work common.
Four years after finishing Data Processing, a typical graduate earns $75,978, above the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $49,977 and $108,338, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $44,431 at one year out to $75,978 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Above the national median for college graduates.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Not every Data Processing graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Sector is the biggest factor. Tech companies and finance firms tend to pay significantly more than government, education, or nonprofit employers in this field.
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $75,978 against an estimated $54,396 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 15 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 1,927 students who complete Data Processing programs each year, the majority (44%) earn a associate's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Data Processing 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 Data Processing? 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 Boston University, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University Boston, MA · Nonprofit | 175 | 11.1% | $24,402 | $83,238 |
| 2 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Nonprofit | 100 | 61.7% | $41,431 | $89,812 |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana Las Cruces, NM · Public | 88 | Open | $6,048 | $39,067 |
| 4 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV · Public | 64 | 96.2% | $10,359 | $55,037 |
| 5 | Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI · Public | 63 | Open | $9,268 | $44,371 |
| 6 | Trident Technical College Charleston, SC · Public | 54 | Open | $1,406 | $38,253 |
| 7 | CUNY Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn, NY · Public | 28 | Open | $5,606 | $42,621 |
| 8 | York Technical College Rock Hill, SC · Public | 27 | Open | $5,931 | $37,257 |
| 9 | University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS · Public | 26 | 99.1% | $21,708 | $44,140 |
| 10 | CUNY Bronx Community College Bronx, NY · Public | 24 | Open | $4,462 | $41,307 |
| 11 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC · Public | 23 | Open | $2,405 | $37,097 |
| 12 | CUNY Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY · Public | 22 | Open | $4,458 | $44,214 |
| 13 | Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC · Public | 22 | Open | $11,366 | $35,768 |
| 14 | Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY · Nonprofit | 22 | 73.3% | $52,659 | $54,295 |
| 15 | West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA · Public | 21 | Open | $2,457 | $35,479 |
| 16 | Lee College Baytown, TX · Public | 20 | Open | $6,879 | $42,178 |
| 17 | George Washington University Washington, DC · Nonprofit | 19 | 47.1% | $36,586 | $90,873 |
| 18 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC · Public | 19 | Open | $4,159 | $35,507 |
| 19 | Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA · Public | 19 | Open | $5,720 | $35,759 |
| 20 | Tri-County Technical College Pendleton, SC · Public | 18 | Open | $14,670 | $40,101 |
Ranked by Data Processing 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 a Data Processing program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if a Data Processing 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.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Data Processing a solid option. The 4 strengths and 0 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
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.
