Computer Science at Champlain College

Champlain College's computer science graduates earn $54,036 in their first year—about $17,000 less than the national median for CS programs and roughly $9,000 below Vermont's median. That 15th percentile national ranking is concerning for a field known for strong entry-level salaries, and even among Vermont's small pool of CS programs, this lands at just the 40th percentile. For context, University of Vermont CS grads start at $63,000, while Middlebury reaches $80,000.

The $27,000 in debt is actually higher than both state and national medians for CS programs, though the 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable by general standards. Still, this represents an unusual situation for computer science: your child would be borrowing more than average to earn less than average. Most CS programs offer the reverse proposition—solid debt levels with strong earning potential that justifies the investment.

The numbers suggest Champlain's CS program isn't delivering the market premium families typically expect from a tech degree. If your child is set on Champlain for fit or culture reasons, understand they'll likely need to be more aggressive about internships and job searching to close that earnings gap. Otherwise, UVM offers better outcomes at lower cost for in-state students, or look at higher-ranked programs nationally where the debt might be higher but the earnings trajectory justifies it.