Systems Science and Theory graduates earn $88,036 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 19.7%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Computer & Information Research Scientist is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
Systems Science and Theory is a focused area of study within Interdisciplinary Studies. Graduates typically earn around $88,036 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. The program is available at 58 colleges across the U.S., from community colleges to research universities. About 1,080 students complete this program each year, most earning a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Systems Science and Theory graduates earn $88,036 four years out, well above average for college graduates. The middle 50% of earners fall between $56,212 and $134,909. Earnings typically jump significantly in the first few years. The one-year figure of $35,840 climbs to $88,036 by year four.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Well above average for college graduates.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
There is a wide earnings spread across Systems Science and Theory graduates. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $88,036 against an estimated $100,012 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 23 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 1,080 students who complete Systems Science and Theory programs each year, the majority (44%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
Systems Science and Theory connects to 8 occupations in the job market. Computer & Information Systems Manager leads at $175,140/yr median. Expand any card to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The 20 colleges below are ranked by how many Systems Science and Theory students they graduate each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The New School New York, NY · Nonprofit | 162 | 63.5% | $58,741 | $52,901 |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA · Nonprofit | 119 | 11.7% | $31,944 | $114,862 |
| 3 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI · Nonprofit | 106 | 18.7% | $50,507 | $68,140 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public | 71 | 42.4% | $14,355 | $81,054 |
| 5 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA · Nonprofit | 69 | 3.7% | $19,066 | $101,817 |
| 6 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA · Public | 50 | 71.5% | $23,322 | $69,954 |
| 7 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public | 47 | 49.9% | $14,600 | $72,424 |
| 8 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public | 44 | 41.7% | $17,303 | $68,758 |
| 9 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA · Nonprofit | 32 | 9.6% | $28,849 | $104,736 |
| 10 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY · Public | 30 | 38.6% | $21,620 | $80,596 |
| 11 | Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA · Nonprofit | 26 | 83% | $49,430 | $45,954 |
| 12 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public | 24 | 89.9% | $14,967 | $62,668 |
| 13 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL · Public | 23 | 40.1% | $10,411 | $58,308 |
| 14 | La Salle University Philadelphia, PA · Nonprofit | 23 | 96.6% | $19,409 | $67,416 |
| 15 | Boston University Boston, MA · Nonprofit | 20 | 11.1% | $24,402 | $83,238 |
| 16 | Rice University Houston, TX · Nonprofit | 19 | 8% | $13,370 | $89,718 |
| 17 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT · Public | 18 | 65.3% | $19,343 | $62,472 |
| 18 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY · Public | 15 | 74.2% | $20,995 | $70,814 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA · Public | 14 | 94.3% | $18,256 | $47,295 |
| 20 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Nonprofit | 13 | 7.7% | $29,167 | $89,363 |
Ranked by Systems Science and Theory graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
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Strong earnings and positive career growth make Systems Science and Theory a solid option. The 4 strengths and 1 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.
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