Ron Lieber, the New York Times "Your Money" columnist, confronts a thorny question facing families today: whether a computer science degree justifies its price tag in an era of rising tuition and AI-driven job uncertainty.
The cost-benefit calculation has shifted dramatically. Computer science degrees once represented a safe bet for high earnings and stable employment. That certainty has eroded. AI automation now threatens software development roles that previous graduates assumed would remain secure. Meanwhile, tuition costs continue climbing faster than inflation, leaving graduates with six-figure debt loads for degrees that may not deliver the promised payoff.
The numbers tell a sobering story. A four-year computer science degree at a private university can exceed $200,000 in total costs. Even at state universities, parents and students face $80,000 to $120,000 in expenses. Graduate earnings in tech remain strong, but the margin between debt burden and salary has compressed. Students entering the field now may earn $70,000 to $100,000 starting salaries, depending on geography and employer. That income looks less impressive when loan repayment consumes 15 to 20 percent of gross pay.
The real tension lies in timing. The job market rewards computer science graduates, but job security no longer stretches across a career. Tech layoffs in 2023 and 2024 demonstrated that even experienced software engineers can face sudden unemployment. Alternative paths, including coding bootcamps costing $10,000 to $20,000 and tech certifications, now compete directly with traditional degrees.
Lieber's analysis suggests the question itself needs reframing. Families should stop asking "Is this degree worth it?" and start asking "Can we afford it without crushing our financial future?" A $100,000 loan burden becomes manageable at a $90,000 starting salary only with aggressive repay