Computer Programming at Elon University

Elon's computer programming degree boasts first-year earnings of nearly $80,000—well above the national median of $50,000 and placing graduates in the 95th percentile nationally. But context matters here: North Carolina only has three schools reporting data for this major, and Elon sits right at the state median. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means a few high-earning tech roles could be skewing these numbers significantly upward.

The debt picture looks excellent at $19,500—less than half the national median and creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.24. Graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under three months of gross earnings. However, the same small-sample caveat applies: with so few students in the program, these figures might not represent what your child would actually experience. The school's 9% Pell Grant rate and $1,222 average SAT suggest this is primarily drawing affluent students who might have family connections or resources helping with job placement.

For a parent weighing this investment, the numbers look promising on paper, but treat them as preliminary rather than definitive. If your child is already drawn to Elon for other reasons and interested in programming, this data doesn't raise red flags. But don't choose this program based solely on these earnings figures—the sample is too small to bank on, and the state comparison reveals less differentiation than the national one suggests.