Computer Science at Dominican University

With a price tag of $27,000 in debt—higher than most Computer Science programs nationally but typical for Illinois—Dominican University's program lands students in a field where starting salaries can vary wildly depending on where graduates end up working. Similar programs across Illinois suggest first-year earnings around $71,355, which would make the debt manageable at just 38% of that first salary. By year four, the median climbs to $80,734, though that's still well below what the state's flagship programs produce. For a school serving nearly half first-generation college students (49% on Pell grants), these outcomes represent solid middle-class wages in a high-demand field.

The challenge lies in uncertainty. Because Dominican's graduate sample is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes, we're looking at what peer programs achieve—not what this specific school delivers. The year-four figure of $80,734 is actual data from Dominican graduates, but that first-year number is an educated guess based on the Illinois median. Computer Science programs in the state range from $50,000 to $124,000, and Dominican's more modest academic profile (80% admission rate, 1022 average SAT) suggests its graduates likely cluster toward the middle rather than competing for elite tech positions.

For parents: the debt burden is reasonable if your student lands anywhere near that estimated $71,000 starting salary. But given the estimation uncertainty, make sure your child understands they'll need to be strategic about internships and job placement—this program won't automatically open doors at top tech firms the way Illinois or Northwestern might.