Computer and Information Sciences at Azusa Pacific University

The trajectory here is intriguing: computer science graduates from comparable California programs start around $54,000, but Azusa Pacific's reported four-year earnings of $75,000 suggest meaningful salary growth early in their careers. That $27,000 in debt—below the national median for this major—means students are borrowing conservatively relative to both their state and national peers.

California's tech market creates unusual dynamics for CS graduates. While peer programs at UCLA and Berkeley place students into $88,000-$136,000 first-year positions, the typical California CS program starts graduates closer to $54,000. Azusa Pacific appears to track with this state baseline initially, then graduates accelerate past it. The 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio based on comparable programs suggests manageable repayment even at these more modest starting salaries, and the trajectory improves significantly by year four.

The real question is whether that four-year figure represents a sustainable path or reflects only those graduates who stayed in California's competitive tech sector. Given Azusa Pacific's 79% admission rate and focus on values-based education, students here may not be competing for the same Silicon Valley positions as UC grads, but they're entering the workforce with substantially less debt and still reaching solid mid-career earnings. For families prioritizing both affordability and a Christian university environment, this estimated profile suggests reasonable financial risk—just recognize you're comparing against peer outcomes rather than Azusa Pacific's specific track record.