Computer and Information Sciences, General at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
91
Optimistic
89
Base Case
78
Pessimistic
Earnings
$78,193/yr (25% vs median)
AI Risk
Very High (69% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (338,800 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Computer and Information Sciences, General graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $1,095K | $817K | $484K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 26.3x | 19.6x | 11.6x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 18.5x | 13.8x | 8.2x |
| Viable Career Paths | 14 of 14 | 14 of 14 | 9 of 14 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 91 | 89 | 78 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$41,600
Out-of-state: $59,200
Median Debt at Graduation
$27,000
4.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$103,595
32% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Computer and Information Sciences, General graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 338,800 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and information systems managers | $171,200 | 55,600 | +15.2% | 53% |
| Computer and information research scientists | $140,910 | 3,200 | +19.7% | 63% |
| Database architects | $135,980 | 4,000 | +8.7% | 94% |
| Software developers | $133,080 | 115,200 | +15.8% | 87% |
| Computer network architects | $130,390 | 11,200 | +11.9% | 61% |
| Information security analysts | $124,910 | 16,000 | +28.5% | 65% |
| Data scientists | $112,590 | 23,400 | +33.5% | 64% |
| Computer occupations, all other | $108,970 | 31,300 | +8.2% | 57% |
Compare & Explore
Computer and Information Sciences, General at Other Schools
Other Majors at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Computer and Information Sciences, General at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?
This program scores 89/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 91 (optimistic) to 78 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Computer and Information Sciences, General career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Computer and Information Sciences, General graduates retain 14 of 14 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $484,214 (pessimistic) to $1,095,050 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Computer and Information Sciences, General graduates?
The career paths mapped to Computer and Information Sciences, General have roughly 338,800 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Computer and Information Sciences, General at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 19.6x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 11.6x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.