Computer Science at Capital University

Capital University's computer science graduates earn $62,806 their first year out—about $11,000 below Ohio's median for CS programs and nearly $8,000 under the national benchmark. In a state with 38 CS programs, this places Capital in the bottom quarter for graduate earnings. That's concerning when nearby competitors like Franklin University and University of Dayton produce graduates earning $74,000+, and Columbus's tech job market should theoretically support stronger outcomes.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $27,000, graduates borrow slightly more than typical CS students but land with a manageable 0.43 debt-to-earnings ratio. A $63,000 salary with under $30,000 in debt is workable, though it means starting your career with less financial cushion than peers from higher-earning programs. The 73% admission rate suggests Capital isn't highly selective, which may correlate with its middling outcomes.

The critical caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 recent graduates means one exceptional job placement or career pivot could skew these numbers significantly. For a family considering Capital's CS program, the safer assumption is that these figures represent genuine performance rather than statistical noise. If your child has admission options at Ohio State, Case Western, or even Cedarville, those programs show materially stronger earning trajectories. Capital might work for a student who needs to stay in Columbus and values small class sizes, but it's not competing on outcomes with Ohio's stronger CS programs.