Security Science and Technology at Champlain College

Champlain's Security Science and Technology program commands nearly double the national median earnings for this field—$70,586 versus $39,252 nationally—placing it in the 95th percentile nationwide. That's an extraordinary performance premium, particularly given the program's relatively accessible admission standards. The debt load of $29,080 translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.41, meaning graduates earn back their entire debt in roughly five months of work. The strong 15% earnings growth by year four suggests this isn't a field where graduates peak immediately and plateau.

The Vermont context is less meaningful here since Champlain is the only school in the state offering this program, but the national comparison tells the story: this program is an outlier performer in cybersecurity and related fields. While the debt is slightly above the national median for this degree ($25,000), you're paying an extra $4,000 for nearly double the earning power. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates adds confidence that these outcomes are reliable, not statistical noise.

For parents worried about tech degrees being oversaturated, this specialized security focus appears to have real market value. The combination of strong starting salaries and continued growth suggests graduates are landing substantive roles in a field with persistent talent shortages. This is one of the clearer positive ROI stories in the cybersecurity education landscape.