Best Systems Science and Theory Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

3

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$404,104

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$47,620

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Carnegie Mellon University

Grad rate: 92.0%

PA +$882,656 $103,805 $80,514 $23,250 Full ROI →
2 James Madison University

Grad rate: 81.0%

VA +$517,181 $75,407 $30,213 $22,301 Full ROI →
3 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Grad rate: 84.8%

IL -$187,526 $40,441 $32,134 $20,600 Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Systems Science and Theory Degrees by State

Browse Systems Science and Theory programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.