Computer Science at Allegheny College

A $58,811 starting salary for computer science graduates puts Allegheny in the bottom quarter nationally, trailing the national median by about $12,000. More telling: this places the program near the 40th percentile among Pennsylvania CS programs, where even mid-tier state schools typically launch graduates into the $70,000+ range. When Carnegie Mellon ($171,264) and Penn ($124,678) graduates dominate Pennsylvania's tech hiring, Allegheny's outcomes suggest limited access to the state's strongest tech pipelines.

The debt load of $26,500 is actually moderate—close to both state and national averages for CS programs—which keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.45. That's the program's saving grace: graduates aren't overleveraged for their salaries. However, with small sample sizes (under 30 graduates), these figures could swing significantly year to year, making this snapshot less reliable than data from larger programs.

The core question is opportunity cost. Computer science degrees typically deliver strong returns regardless of where you study, but Allegheny's outcomes suggest you're paying liberal arts college tuition for career prospects closer to regional state schools. If your child values a small-college experience in a tight-knit environment, this could work—just recognize they'll likely need to be more proactive about internships and job placement than peers at tech-focused schools with stronger industry connections.