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.
The research company ranked 129 college majors based on the median pay for alumni from 1,016 schools (see related story, Computer science major ranks No. 8 for salary earning potential).
In addition to ranking the most lucrative majors, PayScale also analyzed which schools produce the highest-paid graduates in each field of study. Among computer science graduates, alumni from University of California, Berkeley, led the pack with a median mid-career salary of $141,400, PayScale said. The Golden State is also home to the next four universities in the computer-science rankings.
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To come up with its rankings, PayScale surveyed 1.4 million civilian employees working full-time in the U.S. Only employees who possess a bachelor’s degree and no higher degrees are included in PayScale’s College Salary Report. The rankings are based on the median mid-career earnings of graduates.
Best Schools for Computer Science Majors
1. University of California, Berkeley
Starting pay: $82,000
Mid-career pay: $141,400
2. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (CalPoly)
Starting pay: $67,000
Mid-career pay: $125,000
3. University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Starting pay: $68,000
Mid-career pay: $120,200
4. Stanford University (tie)
Starting pay: $90,000
Mid-career pay: $120,000
4. University of California, Irvine (UCI) (tie)
Starting pay: $64,200
Mid-career pay: $120,000