Computer Software and Media Applications at Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT's Computer Software and Media Applications program substantially outperforms its peers, with graduates earning $69,052 in their first year—nearly double the national median of $38,234. More impressively, among New York's 17 programs in this field, RIT ranks in the 95th percentile, far exceeding even NYU's stronger-than-average outcomes. That gap widens over time, with RIT graduates reaching $84,214 by year four, a 22% increase that suggests genuine career momentum rather than just a strong starting salary.

The $27,000 median debt sits at national and state averages, which creates a favorable 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio—graduates owe less than five months of their first-year salary. This is remarkable for a technical program that often commands higher tuition. RIT's relatively high admission rate (71%) means this isn't just a hyper-selective program cherry-picking the best students; the school is delivering strong results at scale.

For parents weighing whether a specialized software program justifies the investment over a traditional computer science degree, these numbers make a compelling case. Your child would be entering the job market with immediately marketable skills and earnings that dwarf typical outcomes for this credential, while keeping debt manageable. The combination of strong placement, steady growth, and reasonable cost makes this one of the clearest value propositions among media technology programs in the Northeast.