How much debt do IU Northwest computer science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,116, which ranks 3rd lowest of 10 computer science bachelor's programs in Indiana. That works out to about $234 a month over 10 years.

Is a computer science degree from IU Northwest worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 61% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 34%. Compare the cost with other Indiana programs before deciding.

Do IU Northwest computer science graduates stay in Indiana?

Most do. 100% (22 of 22) were working in Indiana one year after graduating.

IU Northwest Computer Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Computer Science
Public university
Gary, IN

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

IU Northwest computer science graduates earn less than graduates of most computer science programs nationally, $36,053 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,116 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,308. Several Indiana programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$36,0532nd percentile of 331 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$59,09564% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,1163rd lowest of 10 Indiana programs

Debt-to-earnings61%Indiana median 39%, national 34%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Indiana and national columns are the medians across all computer science bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	IU Northwest	Indiana	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$36,053	$68,485	$70,400
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$59,095	$99,452	$105,613
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,116	$24,625	$23,308
Debt as share of first-year pay	61%	39%	34%
Programs compared		13	331

Five years out, IU Northwest graduates earn less than the national figure and about $40,357 less than the Indiana median. Several Indiana programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every Indiana computer science program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Indiana medians.

IU NorthwestOther Indiana programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 64% between the first and fifth year.

IU Northwest grads, year 1$36,053

IU Northwest grads, year 5$59,095

All Indiana computer science grads, year 5$99,452

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $234 a month, or 7.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

100% of graduates (22 of 22) were working in Indiana one year after graduating. Prices in the Chicago area are about 4% above the national average, so a $36,053 salary here buys what about $34,802 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to computer science, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Software Developers

$105,920

Median pay in Indiana. 14,130 people work in this job in Indiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 95,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $74,850Top 10%: $164,650

Computer and Information Systems Managers

$142,040

Median pay in Indiana. 8,060 people work in this job in Indiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 16% from 2025 to 2035, with about 53,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $94,780Top 10%: $214,590

Data Scientists

$91,470

Median pay in Indiana. 3,580 people work in this job in Indiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $58,750Top 10%: $141,250

Information Security Analysts

$101,420

Median pay in Indiana. 2,260 people work in this job in Indiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $60,450Top 10%: $163,370

About IU Northwest

In-state tuition and fees	$8,424 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$22,811 / year
Average net price after aid	$5,130 / year
Admission rate	73%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	37%
Undergraduate students	2,661

Computer Science ranks 11th of 12 bachelor's programs at IU Northwest by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($73,335), Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($68,086), and Dental Hygiene and Assisting ($57,654).

Other computer science bachelor's programs near Gary

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
IU NorthwestGary, IN · public		$36,053	$22,116
Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN · private nonprofit	17 mi	$59,863	$27,000
Governors StateUniversity Park, IL · public	21 mi	$52,115	$17,750
Saint Xavier UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	22 mi	$45,889	$27,000
Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, IL · private nonprofit	24 mi	$86,005	$23,250
Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	27 mi	$41,976	$26,000
UICChicago, IL · public	27 mi	$78,040	$19,087
Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL · public	35 mi	$62,831	$15,750
Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	38 mi	$99,981	$14,600

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,053 one year after graduating and $59,095 five years after. The median across computer science bachelor's programs in Indiana is $68,485.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Indiana comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the computer science program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Computer Science bachelor's programs in Indiana, ranked13 programs by pay and debt Computer Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked331 programs by pay and debt All IU Northwest programs, ranked13 programs by pay and debt