Is an IT Degree Worth It?

Is an IT Degree Worth It for the Money?

Worth is a comparison between what the degree costs and what it changes about your pay and options. Start with the pay side, using Bureau of Labor Statistics figures from the OEWS survey, May 2025 release, at bls.gov/oes.

Computer user support specialists, the group that includes help desk technicians, earn a median of $61,860, and BLS lists some college, no degree as typical entry education. Network and computer systems administrators earn $99,130, computer systems analysts earn $105,850, information security analysts earn $129,180, and computer network architects earn $134,050. All of those list a bachelor's degree.

That pattern is the core of the case for the degree. The jobs that pay the most are mostly the ones that list a bachelor’s degree. The degree does not guarantee them, but it is the common key.

What an Online IT Degree Costs

Cost is the other side, and it varies widely. In our ranking of the best online IT bachelor’s degrees, the median total cost is $59,280. The cheapest program comes to $30,480 and the most expensive to $229,800. That range is a reminder that two programs with the same degree name can differ by a factor of several in price.

For associate degrees, the median total cost across the programs we rank is $21,269, from $9,604 to $33,480. For master’s degrees, the median is $23,115, from $11,005 to $63,000.

Treat those figures as a starting point. They do not include books, fees, or the income you give up if you cut back your hours. They also assume you do not transfer credits, which can lower the total a great deal. If cost is your main concern, our ranking of the cheapest online IT degrees sorts programs by total cost.

IT Degree vs Certifications

The question people really ask is whether they need a degree at all, since certifications cost far less and take far less time. The honest answer is that they do different jobs.

Certifications prove a specific skill. CompTIA A+ shows you can support hardware and software. The CCNA shows you understand networking. They are cheap, fast and widely recognized in entry-level hiring, and they are the quickest route into a support job. You can read about the main ones in our certifications section.

A degree proves breadth and persistence. It shows you can finish a long program, and it covers the fundamentals that certifications skip: how systems fit together, how to analyze a problem, how to write and communicate. Employers use it as a screen, especially for roles above support.

The best-paid people in IT usually have both. A certification gets you hired. A degree keeps the doors open as you move up. If you must choose one to begin, choose based on your first target job: a certification for a help desk role, a degree for anything above it.

When Certifications Alone Are Enough

Certifications alone are enough in a specific situation: you want to get into IT quickly, and your first target is a support or entry-level technical role. A few months of study for A+ and a good interview can land you a help desk job, and the occupation lists some college, no degree as typical entry education.

They are also enough if you are already experienced, and a certification fills a specific gap, such as a cloud platform or a security specialty. And they are enough in smaller organizations that hire on demonstrated skill and care little about the degree.

Be clear about the limit. BLS projects the support occupation to change by -3.5% from 2025 to 2035, a decline, so it is not a place to stay for a career. If the certification gets you in, plan the next step in your first year.

When an IT Degree Is Worth It

A degree is worth it when your target job lists one, when you want options later, or when you are early enough in your career that four years of study leaves a long runway of higher pay.

It is worth it if you want security, where BLS projects information security analyst employment to change by 21% from 2025 to 2035. It is worth it if you want to move into engineering, analysis or management, where employers more often screen for a bachelor’s. And it is worth it if you are a career changer who needs a credential that employers will read, because certifications alone are harder to interpret for someone without IT experience.

A degree is worth less if you pay a high price for a program of uncertain quality, or if you borrow heavily to reach a job whose median is near $61,860. The return depends on the job at the other end and on keeping the cost down.

How to Make an IT Degree Pay Off

Several choices tilt the math in your favor.

Choose accreditation. Regional accreditation is the baseline, and ABET accreditation of the program is a stronger signal in computing. Our ABET-accredited online IT degrees ranking lists programs that have it.

Keep the cost down. Start at a community college, use employer tuition benefits, transfer credits, and compare total cost before you compare names. A two-year start, such as the programs in our online IT associate degrees ranking, can cut the bill and still count toward a bachelor’s.

Work while you study. A support job during your degree gives you experience, makes the degree more useful and often comes with tuition help. Employers value the combination of a degree and hands-on work more than either alone.

Add certifications that match your target job. A degree plus CCNA for networking, or plus Security+ for security, gives you proof of both breadth and specific skill.

Aim at the growing jobs. The salary pages on this site show which occupations BLS projects to grow. Security analysts and managers are projected to add jobs, while administrator and support occupations are projected to shrink. Pick a degree that leads toward the first group. The IT salaries hub has the figures.

The Honest Downsides of an IT Degree

An IT degree does not guarantee a job. Entry-level roles are competitive, and most graduates start in support or junior roles before reaching the median of their target occupation. The first job often pays near the bottom of the range, and it can take two or three years to reach the middle.

Some programs are weak, and some are expensive for what they deliver. A degree from a program with no accreditation and high tuition can be a poor deal. The field also changes quickly, and a degree is a foundation, not a finished set of skills. You will keep learning on the job whatever you study.

And the occupation mix is shifting. Several IT occupations are projected to shrink, even though they still have many openings. That is not a reason to skip the degree. It is a reason to choose the specialty carefully and to keep adding skills.

So Is an IT Degree Worth It for You?

Put the questions in order. What is the first job you want, and what does it list as typical entry education? What will the program cost you in total? Will you work while you study? What is the next job after that one?

If the answers point to a support role, start with a certification and decide on the degree later. If they point to administration, analysis, engineering, security or management, the degree is usually worth it, as long as you keep the cost under control and pick an accredited program.