Computer and Information Sciences at Mayville State University

First-year earnings around $61,000 for a computer science bachelor's degree would be solid if that figure reflected Mayville State's actual outcomes, but it doesn't—it's derived from the national median across hundreds of programs. What we know for certain is that North Dakota's tech graduates typically start around $65,000, based on programs like University of North Dakota that have reported data. Whether Mayville State matches, exceeds, or falls short of that mark remains unclear due to insufficient graduate samples.

The estimated debt of $24,000 sits comfortably below both state and national benchmarks for computer science programs, suggesting responsible borrowing if accurate. A debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.40 would normally signal a manageable financial picture—you'd be looking at monthly payments around 6-7% of gross income under standard repayment plans. But without knowing if Mayville State's graduates actually achieve those $61,000 salaries, that calculation is speculative.

The practical challenge here is making a decision with little school-specific data. If your child is drawn to Mayville State for non-financial reasons—small campus environment, specific faculty, proximity to home—these estimates suggest the program wouldn't be financially reckless compared to peer institutions. But if you're purely evaluating return on investment, you'd want direct evidence from recent graduates about their actual job outcomes before committing, especially when larger programs in North Dakota have verifiable track records.