MAJORS · 94 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI

Is an information technology degree worth it?

Part of Computer and Information Sciences — see the whole category’s numbers.

On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$742,720. But the spread is the real story.

MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED

+$742,720

across 77 bachelor’s programs · 8,361 graduates

MEDIAN GRADUATE

+$608K

MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN

+$593K ⟷ +$881K

NEVER BREAK EVEN

0%

MEDIAN PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE

28

Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.

ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES

+$234K

IF YOU DROP OUT

−$120K

Questions

Is an information technology degree worth it?
On average yes — across 77 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Information Technology is +$742,720 and the median is +$607,787. 0% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$592,883 and +$880,707.
How long until an information technology degree pays off?
For Information Technology, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 28. 0% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. FREOPP 2021.
Does the school matter for an information technology major?
Enormously. The middle 50% of Information Technology graduates span +$592,883 to +$880,707 — a +$288K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.

↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Information Technology: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/information-technology