Physics at College of the Holy Cross

A debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5 suggests manageable risk, even when working with estimated figures. Based on comparable physics programs in Massachusetts, Holy Cross graduates likely start around $49,400—right at the state median and slightly above the national benchmark of $47,670. With estimated debt of $23,000, you're looking at roughly six months of gross income to repay loans, which falls within the traditional "safe" range for educational investment.

What's harder to gauge is Holy Cross's specific advantage. The school's 21% admission rate and strong academic profile suggest a rigorous program, but without actual graduate outcomes, it's difficult to know whether that selectivity translates into better career placement or graduate school admissions compared to peer Massachusetts programs. Physics graduates from MIT command $54,700 first-year, while UMass Lowell reports $48,300—Holy Cross likely falls somewhere in this range, but whether it's closer to the top or middle remains unclear.

The fundamentals look sound: reasonable debt paired with earnings that should support repayment. But you're making this investment without the concrete data point you'd ideally want—actual outcomes from Holy Cross physics graduates. If your child is committed to physics and values Holy Cross's liberal arts environment, the estimated numbers suggest it's financially viable. Just recognize you're operating with less certainty than you would at schools where hard data exists.