Computer and Information Sciences at Brown University

A Brown computer science degree comes with an estimated $25,860 in debt—right at the national median for CS programs—but the earnings picture raises questions about whether you're getting an elite return on an elite institution. At roughly $61,000 in first-year earnings based on peer programs nationally, this falls below what the University of Rhode Island's CS graduates actually report ($67,736), and well short of what top-tier tech programs deliver at schools with similar selectivity.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 is manageable by most standards, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in under six months of gross earnings. But context matters: Brown's 5% admission rate and 1546 average SAT suggest a student body that could likely gain admission to CS programs where actual reported outcomes show first-year earnings in the $75,000-$90,000 range. The suppressed data here—likely due to small sample sizes—means we can't know if Brown's graduates are actually performing at, above, or below these national medians.

For a family paying Brown tuition, the question is whether the Ivy credential and broader liberal arts environment justify what appears to be middle-of-the-pack CS earnings potential when compared to state schools or tech-focused programs. If your child is admitted to Brown and passionate about both computer science and the distinctive interdisciplinary education Brown offers, the debt load won't be crushing. But if the goal is purely to maximize tech-sector earnings potential, the estimated figures suggest you should compare Brown's offer carefully against other acceptances where actual outcome data exists.