Computer Science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport

Louisiana State University-Shreveport's Computer Science graduates start at $60,259—landing right at Louisiana's median but trailing the national median by over $10,000. Before dismissing this program, though, consider two factors: graduates carry just $28,992 in debt (among the lowest 5% nationally), and their earnings grow to $67,383 within four years. That 12% trajectory matters when you're comparing debt loads: this program's debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48 means students owe less than half their first-year salary, easily manageable on a tech income.

Within Louisiana, this program sits squarely in the middle pack—40th percentile—which reflects Shreveport's regional tech market rather than program quality issues. Graduates aren't reaching the $90,000+ that Tulane CS grads command, but they're also not shouldering Tulane-level debt. The 83% admission rate and Pell grant population suggest LSU-Shreveport serves students who might not access more selective programs, making the accessibility-to-outcome ratio relevant.

The significant caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could heavily skew these numbers. If your child has Louisiana Tech or UL Lafayette within reach, those programs show similar or better outcomes. But for a student staying local to Shreveport or needing an accessible entry point into tech, the combination of minimal debt and steady earnings growth makes this a defensible choice—just understand you're betting on regional opportunities rather than the national CS job market.