Computer Science at California Lutheran University

California Lutheran's computer science program sits right at the state median for earnings ($68,398), but there's an important detail: graduates here carry significantly more debt than typical California CS majors. At $25,500, debt runs 44% higher than the state median of $17,750, which matters when comparing value propositions across the state's 54 CS programs.

The good news is the program shows solid earnings growth—21% from year one to year four—and that debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 remains manageable. Graduates can realistically pay this down within a few years while building their careers. The starting salary, while below elite California programs like Berkeley or Stanford, lands squarely in the middle of the pack statewide (60th percentile). For students who prefer a smaller university environment in Thousand Oaks over a large public or highly competitive private school, these outcomes reflect a reasonable tradeoff.

The catch: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances heavily influence these numbers. If your child is comparing this to UC schools or Cal State programs with lower tuition and comparable outcomes, run the actual four-year cost comparison carefully. The higher debt load suggests Lutheran's total cost might offset the benefits of its more intimate setting, unless financial aid brings the net price down considerably.