College costs keep climbing while job market uncertainty spreads. The question facing families now is whether a computer science degree justifies the debt load, especially with AI reshaping tech hiring.
Ron Lieber, personal finance columnist at the New York Times, frames this as a math problem wrapped in emotion. The core calculation remains brutal. A four-year computer science degree at a private university can cost $200,000 to $300,000 total. Public universities run $80,000 to $120,000. Entry-level software developer salaries hover around $70,000 to $85,000, meaning graduates spend years digging out of debt before building wealth.
The AI factor adds wrinkles. Companies hiring fewer junior developers and demanding more experience shifts the equation. A degree becomes a credential that opens doors, but doesn't guarantee those doors stay open. Tech bootcamps and self-taught paths cost far less, though they carry their own risks in a competitive field.
Lieber emphasizes that families need to run actual numbers specific to their situation. What will the total debt be? What scholarships or grants reduce that number? Does the student have backup career options if tech hiring freezes? These questions matter more than whether computer science "in general" remains worth it.
The mindset shift involves accepting that college isn't purely an investment in lifetime earnings. It's also about opportunity access, network building, and time to explore before entering the workforce. Some students need the structure. Others don't. The debt question becomes: what are you actually paying for, and does that justification hold at your actual cost?
For families facing this decision, the answer splits into two questions. First, what specific job are you training for, and what does that job actually pay right now? Second, how much debt loads onto that salary, and can you stomach that monthly payment for ten years?
A computer science degree still opens doors