Computer and Information Sciences at Mount St. Mary's University

Mount St. Mary's computer science graduates start at $57,612—roughly $6,000 below both the national and Maryland medians for this degree. Among the state's 18 CS programs, this lands squarely at the 40th percentile, trailing not just Johns Hopkins but also public options like Morgan State ($66,950) and St. Mary's College ($72,926). For a program where starting salaries typically reach the low sixties nationwide, this represents a meaningful gap that compounds over early career years.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $21,240, graduates here borrow slightly less than typical CS students in Maryland. The 0.37 debt-to-earnings ratio means manageable payments, though the relatively modest starting salary limits how quickly students can pay down loans compared to peers at higher-earning programs. The 72% admission rate and average SAT of 1141 suggest this serves students who might not access more selective tech programs, which adds important context.

The critical caveat is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates means one or two outliers could skew these numbers significantly. If your child has options at University of Maryland College Park or other state schools with stronger tech placement, those merit serious consideration. But if Mount St. Mary's offers the right fit otherwise, the debt load won't be crushing, even if the earnings won't be competitive with Maryland's stronger CS programs.