Location: Irvine, CA•In-State Tuition: $14,237•Out-of-State Tuition: $45,014•Admission Rate: 26%
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$45,387
Est. from CA median (5 programs)
Median Debt
$21,650
20% below national median

Analysis

A Bachelor's in Computer Software and Media Applications from UC Irvine comes with estimated first-year earnings around $45,387—on par with the California median for similar programs but notably trailing USC's $103,000 by a wide margin. The $21,650 debt load sits well below both the state median ($35,358) and national median ($27,000), which means UC Irvine graduates enter this competitive field with relatively manageable financial risk. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48 suggests you'd owe less than half your first year's salary, a reasonable starting point for most families.

The challenge here is understanding what "software and media applications" actually prepares students for versus traditional computer science. Peer programs in California producing similar earnings suggest these graduates aren't commanding Silicon Valley software engineer salaries—at least not immediately. UC Irvine's 26% admission rate and strong academic reputation should open doors, but you'll want to investigate whether this particular program connects students to the high-paying tech roles that make California's cost of living bearable, or whether it's positioning them for creative/media hybrid careers with more modest compensation.

The lower debt here buys your family some breathing room. If your student lands a typical outcome based on comparable programs, they're looking at manageable monthly payments rather than financial distress. But given the massive earning spread among California programs in this field, dig into UC Irvine's specific curriculum and career outcomes—the estimates can't tell you whether this program is a tech pipeline or something else entirely.

Where University of California-Irvine Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all computer software and media applications bachelors's programs nationally

University of California-Irvine (estimated ±10%)Other computer software and media applications programs

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

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Computer Software and Media Applications bachelors's programs at peer institutions in California (14 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
University of California-IrvineIrvine$14,237$45,387*—$21,650—
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles$68,237$103,071*$134,326$23,5000.23
University of Phoenix-CaliforniaOntario—$83,476*$57,111$44,2250.53
Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco$28,024$45,387*$72,792$39,7150.88
University of Silicon ValleySan Jose$22,480$37,693*—$31,0000.82
DeVry University-CaliforniaOntario$17,488$32,159*$38,887$48,8491.52
National Median—$38,234*—$27,0000.71
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with computer software and media applications 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

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.

$140,910/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Software Developers

Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.

$131,450/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Database Administrators

Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.

$123,100/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Database Architects

Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks. Set standards for database operations, programming, query processes, and security. Model, design, and construct large relational databases or data warehouses. Create and optimize data models for warehouse infrastructure and workflow. Integrate new systems with existing warehouse structure and refine system performance and functionality.

$123,100/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Data Warehousing Specialists

Design, model, or implement corporate data warehousing activities. Program and configure warehouses of database information and provide support to warehouse users.

$123,100/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Data Scientists

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Intelligence Analysts

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

$112,590/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.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

$99,800/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Computer Programmers

Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.

$98,670/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Web Developers

Develop and implement websites, web applications, application databases, and interactive web interfaces. Evaluate code to ensure that it is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers and devices. Optimize website performance, scalability, and server-side code and processes. May develop website infrastructure and integrate websites with other computer applications.

$95,380/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree
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). At University of California-Irvine, approximately 37% of students receive Pell grants. 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 5 similar programs in CA. Actual outcomes may vary.