Computer Software and Media Applications at Edgewood College

In Wisconsin, computer software programs typically deliver strong early returns—the state median of $52,718 far exceeds the national figure—yet peer programs nationally suggest this particular program may produce more modest first-year earnings around $38,000. That's roughly $15,000 below what graduates from UW-Stout and UW-Stevens Point report earning, a significant gap that creates real questions about whether the same credential translates to the same opportunities here.

The estimated debt of $25,603 sits right at the median for similar Wisconsin programs, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 if the earnings estimate holds. That's manageable on paper, but the concern isn't whether you can service the debt—it's whether you're getting comparable value when the state's other software programs show substantially higher returns. The small graduate sample that triggered these estimates (Edgewood's 95% admission rate and modest size) means the program may serve a different market or attract students with varied career trajectories, but without actual outcome data, that's speculation.

Before committing, your child should investigate where recent graduates actually land—job titles, employers, whether they're working in tech roles or adjacent fields. If this program feeds into lower-paying IT support or general business technology positions rather than software development, the earnings gap makes sense but changes the calculation. The debt level is reasonable, but only if the career outcome justifies it.