Computer Science at Indiana University-South Bend

Starting at $53,743 puts IU South Bend's computer science graduates near the bottom of Indiana's CS programs—25th percentile statewide and 15th nationally. That's roughly $15,000 below the state median and $17,000 below the national benchmark. The gap widens when you compare to flagship programs: Purdue grads earn $94,786, and even regional competitor IU Southeast hits $72,634. The silver lining here is debt: at $27,400, graduates carry just slightly more than typical CS majors, resulting in a manageable 0.51 debt-to-earnings ratio.

The 42% earnings jump to $76,322 by year four suggests the degree does eventually deliver solid career progression—getting graduates much closer to what their peers at other Indiana schools start with. However, with fewer than 30 graduates in this data set, these numbers could swing significantly year to year. For an accessible program serving a largely working-class student body (41% Pell recipients), this represents a practical pathway into tech work, but parents should understand their child will likely start behind peers from more selective Indiana programs and need several years to close that gap. If your student has options at Purdue, IU Bloomington, or even other regional campuses, those would offer stronger immediate earning potential.