“Is it worth it?” is the question most people actually mean when they search for information about a data science master’s degree. Not the curriculum, not the course list, the return. Will the cost and the time actually pay off in a way you can measure?
That’s a fair question to ask before you apply anywhere, and it deserves a real answer built on real numbers rather than vague reassurance. Below, we break down what an online data science master’s typically costs, what the labor market says about the salary side of the equation, and a payback timeline you can use to think through your own numbers. See the full M.S. in Applied Data Science program page
What “Worth It” Actually Means for a Graduate Degree
ROI on a master’s degree comes down to two variables: what you put in, and what comes back out over time. What you put in is tuition, fees, and often the opportunity cost of time spent studying instead of doing something else.
What comes back is trickier to pin down, since it depends on your starting point, your industry, and how directly you apply what you learn. But the labor market data around data-focused roles is specific enough that you can build a reasonable, illustrative payback estimate rather than guessing blind.
The Real Cost of an Online Data Science Master’s
Online data science master’s programs vary widely in price. According to Research.com’s 2026 analysis of online data science degree costs, total tuition for these programs typically ranges from $20,000 to $60,000, with the average program landing between $35,000 and $45,000. Research.com, “Online Data Science Master’s Degree Program Costs: Tuition & Fees
Eastern’s M.S. in Applied Data Science is priced at $750 per credit hour across 30 total credits, which puts total tuition around $22,500 before a modest per-semester fee. That figure sits well below the national average for comparable online programs, and it doesn’t require the GRE, which removes both a testing cost and months of prep time from the equation for most applicants.
Online M.S. in Applied Data Science
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The Salary Side of the Equation
Here’s where the numbers get more concrete. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, data scientists earned a median annual wage of $120,230 as of May 2025, with employment projected to grow 35% between 2025 and 2035, far faster than the average for all occupations, adding roughly 24,800 job openings per year BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Data Scientists.
For comparison, operations research analysts, a role BLS uses as the closest formal occupational match to many “data analyst” positions, reported a median annual wage of $88,940 in May 2025, with 12% projected growth through 2035 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Operations Research Analysts. That roughly $31,000 gap between analyst-level and scientist-level median pay is a useful benchmark, not a promise about what any individual graduate will earn.
Eastern’s own program page frames this same opportunity around a median salary of $108,020, citing BLS data science figures and 36% projected job growth through 2033 for the field its graduates pursue. That number reflects an earlier BLS release cycle than the $120,230 figure above, and both are worth knowing: the field’s pay has been trending upward, and neither figure is a guarantee of any specific graduate’s outcome.
Building the Payback Timeline
Here’s an illustrative way to think through the math, using round numbers rather than a promise:
- Estimated total program cost (Eastern): about $22,500 in tuition, plus modest fees
- National salary gap, analyst-level to scientist-level roles: roughly $31,000 per year (BLS median wage data above)
- If a graduate captures even half that gap (about $15,500 in additional annual income), the program cost is offset in roughly 1.5 years of the new salary level
- If a graduate captures closer to the full gap, the payback window shortens to well under a year of the new salary level
This is illustrative math, not a forecast. Your actual payback timeline depends on your starting salary, your industry, your location, how directly your new role uses what you learned, and plenty of factors no formula can capture. Treat it as a framework for evaluating your own numbers, not a guarantee of what Eastern’s program, or any program, will do for your paycheck.
Why Eastern’s Structure Shortens the Payback Window
Two structural details matter more than they might seem to at first glance. First, the asynchronous, 100% online format means most students keep working full-time while completing the degree, so there’s little to no lost income during the roughly 12 months of full-time-paced study (18 months for part time study). That’s a meaningfully different cost profile than a program requiring you to step away from a paycheck.
Second, no GRE requirement removes a real but often overlooked cost: the test fee itself, months of prep time, and the delay it can add to an application timeline. Every dollar and month you don’t spend on admissions logistics is a dollar and month working in your favor on the payback side of the equation.
The curriculum itself also plays a role here. Eastern’s program builds technical skill in Python, R, SQL, and machine learning, but it’s taught within a liberal arts foundation that emphasizes communicating findings clearly to non-technical stakeholders, a skill that often separates who gets promoted from who plateaus in a technical role.
Who Sees the Fastest Return
Working professionals already in data-adjacent roles, such as reporting, analytics, or business intelligence, tend to see the clearest path to a fast payback, since they can often apply new skills to their current job immediately rather than waiting for a full role change. Explore the curriculum and course sequence.
Career switchers coming from unrelated fields may see a longer runway before the salary side of the equation shifts, simply because a title change usually takes longer to negotiate than a skills upgrade within an existing role. Neither path is wrong, but it’s worth being honest with yourself about which one you’re on before you build expectations around a specific timeline.
If you’re still sorting out whether “data analytics” or “data science” is the more accurate label for the work you want to do, our comparison of data analytics, data science, and business analytics career paths breaks down that distinction in more depth.
Eastern vs. a Typical Online Data Science Master’s
| Eastern’s M.S. in Applied Data Science | Typical Online Data Science Master’s | |
|---|---|---|
| Credits required | 30 | 30 to 36 |
| GRE required | No | Varies, often required |
| Cost per credit | $750 | $400 to $1,500 |
| Estimated total tuition | About $22,500 | $35,000 to $45,000 (average) |
| Format | 100% online, asynchronous | Varies by program |
| Typical time to complete | About 12 months, full-time pace | 18 to 24 months |
Sources: Eastern Connecticut State University, M.S. in Applied Data Science program page; Research.com, “Online Data Science Master’s Degree Program Costs: Tuition & Fees” (2026).
The Bottom Line
A master’s in data analytics or data science is worth it when the math actually works in your favor, not just because the field sounds promising in the abstract. Eastern’s lower relative cost, no-GRE admissions path, and asynchronous format all shrink the “input” side of the ROI equation, while BLS data on data scientist and analyst-level pay gives you a real, sourced benchmark for the “output” side.
Run your own numbers before you commit. Compare your current salary, your target role, and a program’s actual cost, rather than relying on a single average figure from across the entire field.
The path to your future starts at Eastern. Request info from Eastern’s Applied Data Science program.
FAQ
Is a master’s in data analytics or data science actually worth the cost?
It depends on your starting salary, your target role, and the program’s actual cost. Nationally, BLS data shows a meaningful pay gap between analyst-level and scientist-level roles, which can offset a program’s cost over time, though results vary by individual.
How long does it take to pay back a data science master’s degree?
Using illustrative math based on BLS median wage data, a graduate capturing even half the national pay gap between analyst-level and scientist-level roles could offset a program cost like Eastern’s roughly $22,500 tuition in about 1.5 years of the new salary level. This is a framework for estimation, not a guaranteed timeline.
Does Eastern’s M.S. in Applied Data Science require the GRE?
No. Eastern’s program does not require the GRE for admission, which removes both a testing cost and months of prep time from the overall investment.
How much does Eastern’s M.S. in Applied Data Science cost?
Tuition is $750 per credit hour across the program’s 30 required credits, putting total tuition around $22,500 before a modest per-semester fee, notably below the national average for comparable online programs.
What salary can data science and analytics graduates expect?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, data scientists earned a median annual wage of $120,230 as of May 2025, while operations research analysts, a close occupational match for many analyst roles, earned a median of $88,940. Individual outcomes vary and are not guaranteed by any program.
National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth. Information provided is not intended to represent a complete list of hiring companies or job titles, and degree program options do not guarantee career or salary outcomes. Students should conduct independent research for specific employment information.
