Computer Science at Moravian University

Based on comparable programs in Pennsylvania, a Computer Science bachelor's from Moravian University costs an estimated $27,000 in debt—right at the state median—but leads to first-year earnings of just $52,133. That's $15,000 below what the typical Pennsylvania CS graduate earns and nearly $19,000 below the national median. When similar programs in PA produce outcomes ranging from $67,000 to over $170,000, these numbers signal underperformance.

The debt load itself isn't alarming—0.52 times first-year earnings falls within manageable territory. But the earnings gap matters enormously for CS graduates, who typically command premium salaries that make student loans easy to handle. At Moravian's outcome level, loan payments will consume a much larger share of take-home pay than peers experience. Consider that nearby Lehigh University CS graduates earn $88,587 their first year, meaning they face the same monthly loan payments with 70% more income.

For a family paying private university prices, this program doesn't deliver the earnings premium that typically justifies computer science as a major. The small graduating class (evident from suppressed data) might mean limited recruiting relationships or alumni networks in tech. Unless Moravian offers substantial merit aid or family circumstances make it the only viable option, stronger CS programs exist at both comparable private schools and Pennsylvania's public universities.