Computer Science at George Washington University

George Washington University's computer science program launches graduates into six-figure territory immediately, with first-year earnings of $104,200—nearly 50% above the national median for CS programs. The $19,500 debt load translates to a highly manageable 0.19 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their entire debt with less than two months' salary. Nationally, this program punches in the 95th percentile, performing comparably to elite CS programs across the country.

The DC context adds nuance: while GWU's outcomes top the state median of $93,000, they rank in the 60th percentile among DC programs. Georgetown reports identical earnings figures, and even UDC graduates earn a respectable $65,500. Washington's concentration of tech firms, government contractors, and consulting companies lifts all boats here—location matters tremendously for CS grads.

The critical caveat is sample size. With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers could swing significantly year to year. One or two graduates landing particularly high-paying positions at Amazon or Microsoft (both with major DC presences) could skew the entire median. For a selective university with a 44% admission rate and strong SAT scores, this outcome seems plausible but warrants verification through the school's own placement reports. If your child is paying full private tuition, the value calculation tightens—but for students with financial aid, these debt levels combined with DC market access make this a solid bet.