Top 20 colleges for computer science majors, based on earning potential

[Anonymous]

Among computer science grads, alumni from University of California, Berkeley, led the pack with a median mid-career salary of $141,400, PayScale says.

California is home to the top five computer science schools in the U.S., according to a new salary-centric report from PayScale.

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2169992/data-center/top-20-colleges-for-computer-science-majors-based-on-earning-potential.html

[Anonymous]

Not surprising considering SV is in CA. They hire from their backyard.

[Anonymous]

What about MIT and CMU?

[Anonymous]

Berkeley grads make more than Stanford grads?

[Anonymous]

Remember that people are more likely to take their first job near where their university is (more connections, no move needed) and those universities in CA have a high cost of living so salaries are also higher. Then places like Carnegie Mellon are in Pittsburgh where cost of living is much lower and salaries accordingly.

The variation in salaries from #1 to #20 on the list isn't that great -- I think you'd do well with any of those universities.

[Anonymous]

UMD at 14. Not bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember that people are more likely to take their first job near where their university is (more connections, no move needed) and those universities in CA have a high cost of living so salaries are also higher. Then places like Carnegie Mellon are in Pittsburgh where cost of living is much lower and salaries accordingly.

The variation in salaries from #1 to #20 on the list isn't that great -- I think you'd do well with any of those universities.

Bolded is a good point. I say this as one who went to a CA state univ on that list, and who worked in SV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember that people are more likely to take their first job near where their university is (more connections, no move needed) and those universities in CA have a high cost of living so salaries are also higher. Then places like Carnegie Mellon are in Pittsburgh where cost of living is much lower and salaries accordingly.

The variation in salaries from #1 to #20 on the list isn't that great -- I think you'd do well with any of those universities.

Wouldn't many CMU graduates move away from PA for job purposes to other major cities as well (NY, DC SF etc.) and thus subject to the same high cost of living. My guess is CMU graduates would not find many jobs near campus.

[Anonymous]

I am shocked that carangie mellon is so low. It's amazing that virginia tech is so high, much higher than UMD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember that people are more likely to take their first job near where their university is (more connections, no move needed) and those universities in CA have a high cost of living so salaries are also higher. Then places like Carnegie Mellon are in Pittsburgh where cost of living is much lower and salaries accordingly.

The variation in salaries from #1 to #20 on the list isn't that great -- I think you'd do well with any of those universities.

Wouldn't many CMU graduates move away from PA for job purposes to other major cities as well (NY, DC SF etc.) and thus subject to the same high cost of living. My guess is CMU graduates would not find many jobs near campus.

I went to CMU. It's geography. Remember IT people are needed in every company, not just software companies. So let's say you're a mid-sized industrial products company. You're going to recruit at the local universities, but not fly recruiters out to other universities. There were a bunch of companies at CMU who recruited there simply because they were in Pittsburgh or Ohio, but they aren't companies you'd usually hear of, like Air Products, Westinghouse, PPG. I know many people who took jobs at places like that. Often they just wanted to stay in the area because they had friends who were also staying.

Yes, Google, Facebook and big guys like that fly around to recruit, but the smaller ones don't. Then, CMU grads who do leave Pittsburgh end up dispersed, so not only in high-wage areas like SF and NYC, but also cheaper cities like Chicago and Dallas.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that there are big differences in starting salaries between colleges like Cal Poly (very affordable state school) vs. Stanford but not much difference in the top 10 for mid-career salary.

Doesn't seem like Stanford/MIT are worth the investment long-term, unless you are a lower income family that qualifies for a lot of aid.

[Anonymous]

Salary surveys are notoriously difficult to interpret.

The sample sizes are small, and self-selecting -- both big no-nos in statistics.

There are regional variations, with cost-of-living and local employers. A CalState that is located within convenient distance of Silicon Valley may have a higher salary than an Ivy, or a decent flagship state school, especially since the latter are often located out in the hinterlands.

[Anonymous]

The salaries were nearly identical to each other for all of those schools. I think your return on investment is far better when you spend $40k at UMD rather than $150k at one of the ultra expensive schools. You'll be a whole lot richer not having to pay back that chunk of change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember that people are more likely to take their first job near where their university is (more connections, no move needed) and those universities in CA have a high cost of living so salaries are also higher. Then places like Carnegie Mellon are in Pittsburgh where cost of living is much lower and salaries accordingly.

The variation in salaries from #1 to #20 on the list isn't that great -- I think you'd do well with any of those universities.

Wouldn't many CMU graduates move away from PA for job purposes to other major cities as well (NY, DC SF etc.) and thus subject to the same high cost of living. My guess is CMU graduates would not find many jobs near campus.

I went to CMU. It's geography. Remember IT people are needed in every company, not just software companies. So let's say you're a mid-sized industrial products company. You're going to recruit at the local universities, but not fly recruiters out to other universities. There were a bunch of companies at CMU who recruited there simply because they were in Pittsburgh or Ohio, but they aren't companies you'd usually hear of, like Air Products, Westinghouse, PPG. I know many people who took jobs at places like that. Often they just wanted to stay in the area because they had friends who were also staying.

Yes, Google, Facebook and big guys like that fly around to recruit, but the smaller ones don't. Then, CMU grads who do leave Pittsburgh end up dispersed, so not only in high-wage areas like SF and NYC, but also cheaper cities like Chicago and Dallas.

Computer science majors don't usually go into IT. They become software developers and computer engineers. Most IT professionals have an information systems degree if they have a degree at all. Many only have certifications for the equipment that they work on - not that there's anything wrong with that. They do well in the field with those certifications.

[Anonymous]

Surprisingly, UC Berkeley had the most Turing Award laureates more than Stanford or MIT or CMU at UC Berkeley 20, Stanford 18, MIT 16 and CMU 12...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Turing_Award_laureates_by_university_affiliation