Location: West Point, NY•Admission Rate: 14%•Avg SAT: 1355
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$62,592
Est. from NY median (30 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$23,386
Est. from NY median (12 programs)

Analysis

West Point's computer science program comes with a crucial caveat that most families already know: cadets incur no tuition and graduate debt-free in exchange for a five-year military service commitment. The estimated $23,386 in debt shown here—derived from state medians for military academies—doesn't reflect West Point's actual zero-tuition model. What matters more is that comparable computer science programs in New York suggest first-year earnings around $62,500, which aligns with the national median but falls well short of what elite New York tech programs deliver. Cornell and NYU graduates in this field often start near $90,000-$100,000+.

The financial tradeoff is straightforward: your child will avoid undergraduate debt entirely but must serve as a military officer for five years post-graduation, during which their earnings will follow military pay scales rather than private sector tech salaries. The service commitment means forgoing the immediate six-figure opportunities that top CS graduates typically pursue. Whether that's worthwhile depends entirely on your family's values and your child's career goals—West Point is choosing a different path, not necessarily a more profitable one in strict dollar terms, at least in the short run.

Where United States Military Academy Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all computer and information sciences bachelors's programs nationally

United States Military Academy (estimated ±10%)Other computer and information sciences programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in New York

Computer and Information Sciences bachelors's programs at peer institutions in New York (68 total in state)

SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
United States Military AcademyWest Point—$62,592*—$23,386*—
Barnard CollegeNew York$66,246$107,434*—$19,000*0.18
Cornell UniversityIthaca$66,014$103,650*$118,342$15,500*0.15
Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook$10,560$90,673*$121,708$16,868*0.19
New York UniversityNew York$60,438$87,608*$129,248$19,734*0.23
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy$61,884$85,172*—$27,000*0.32
National Median—$61,322*—$25,000*0.41
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with computer and information sciences graduates

Computer and Information Systems Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis, and computer programming.

$171,200/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

$104,350/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as the design and function of computers or operations and research analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Computer and Information Research Scientists

Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.

Computer Systems Analysts

Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to implement and improve computer systems. Analyze user requirements, procedures, and problems to automate or improve existing systems and review computer system capabilities, workflow, and scheduling limitations. May analyze or recommend commercially available software.

Informatics Nurse Specialists

Apply knowledge of nursing and informatics to assist in the design, development, and ongoing modification of computerized health care systems. May educate staff and assist in problem solving to promote the implementation of the health care system.

Information Security Analysts

Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information. May ensure appropriate security controls are in place that will safeguard digital files and vital electronic infrastructure. May respond to computer security breaches and viruses.

Software Developers, Applications

Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team. May supervise computer programmers.

Software Developers, Systems Software

Research, design, develop, and test operating systems-level software, compilers, and network distribution software for medical, industrial, military, communications, aerospace, business, scientific, and general computing applications. Set operational specifications and formulate and analyze software requirements. May design embedded systems software. Apply principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis.

Web Developers

Design, create, and modify Web sites. Analyze user needs to implement Web site content, graphics, performance, and capacity. May integrate Web sites with other computer applications. May convert written, graphic, audio, and video components to compatible Web formats by using software designed to facilitate the creation of Web and multimedia content.

Database Administrators

Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.

Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Install, configure, and support an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet systems or a segment of a network system. Monitor network to ensure network availability to all system users and may perform necessary maintenance to support network availability. May monitor and test Web site performance to ensure Web sites operate correctly and without interruption. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software. May supervise computer user support specialists and computer network support specialists. May administer network security measures.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 30 similar programs in NY. Actual outcomes may vary.