What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Systems Science and Theory
Systems Science and Theory is tracked across 21 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the bachelor's credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.
Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $73,322, calculated from 7 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $34,265 at the low end to $146,929 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $48,250 and $91,034 around a median of $64,444. The top-reporting institution in this program is Carnegie Mellon University at $146,929. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.
Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Systems Science and Theory graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.
Carnegie Mellon University accounts for 32.6% of all Systems Science and Theory bachelor's credential graduates
That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share — means Systems Science and Theory-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 118 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Systems Science and Theory bachelor's credential median earnings varies 4.3× across entities
Systems Science and Theory bachelor's credential median earnings ranges from $34,265 (lowest) to $146,929 (highest), a spread of $112,664. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme earnings stratification across institutions — graduates of the same field can earn dramatically different starting salaries depending on the school’s reputation, regional employer mix, and selectivity. Earnings are measured roughly one year after completion using IRS records linked to federal aid recipients (see https://www.irs.gov/) — not all completers are captured, but the school-level medians correlate strongly with longer-term earnings trajectories.
Systems Science and Theory debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.38 — low (typically associated with graduates earn substantially more than they borrowed, which is the College Scorecard standard signal for affordability — a ratio under 0.5 means a year of post-completion earnings would clear half the federal-loan principal)
debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Systems Science and Theory operates only 21 institutions offer this program — among the most consolidated governance structures in the country
Most Systems Science and Theory institutions offer this program are specialty-program scarcity that concentrates national supply in a small set of institutions — graduates often command stronger employer attention because the talent pool is structurally narrower. Consolidation produces narrower variance because resources pool across larger populations, but it can also mask intra-institutions offer this program inequities — sub-institutions offer this program differences within a single institutions offer this program are not visible at this aggregation level. Consolidated systems typically rely more heavily on top-down funding formulas than on local revenue variability.
How much do Systems Science and Theory graduates earn? ▼
Systems Science and Theory graduates earn $73,322 on average across 21 schools. Earnings range from $34,265 to $146,929 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Systems Science and Theory? ▼
Carnegie Mellon University has the highest reported median earnings for Systems Science and Theory graduates at $146,929, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Systems Science and Theory? ▼
Systems Science and Theory programs typically award a Bachelor's credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.
Top Schools for Systems Science and Theory
Closest schools offering this program — compare earnings side by side
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.