Computer Science at Chapman University

Chapman's Computer Science program lands squarely in the middle of California's tech landscape—hovering around the 40th percentile for both state and national earnings. While $67,000 first-year earnings might sound solid to parents outside tech hubs, it's notably below what many California CS graduates command. The state's median sits at $68,400, and top UC programs are producing graduates who earn two to three times more. That gap matters when you're paying private school tuition in a state known for public universities that dominate tech recruiting.

The debt picture looks more reasonable at $24,000—roughly on par with national averages and manageable with a 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio. But here's the catch: this comes from a small sample (under 30 graduates), which means these numbers could swing significantly year to year. A few students landing at top tech firms—or struggling to find jobs—can dramatically shift the medians.

For parents paying Chapman's premium tuition, the central question is whether the smaller classes and Orange County location justify landing in the middle of the pack. If your child could secure admission to a UC or CSU (which typically carry lower price tags and higher tech industry placement), that's worth serious consideration. Chapman might make sense for students who need a smaller environment to thrive, but it's not delivering the earnings premium you'd hope for from a selective private university.