Computer Science at Notre Dame de Namur University

A debt load around $23,000 for a computer science degree is manageable territory—peer programs in California suggest first-year earnings near $68,400, putting the debt-to-earnings ratio at a healthy 0.34. That's roughly four months of gross pay, which should allow for reasonable repayment even in the Bay Area's expensive housing market. For context, the national median sits slightly higher at $71,000, so outcomes from comparable California programs track close to what CS graduates typically earn nationwide.

The challenge here isn't the debt burden but the earnings ceiling. California's top CS programs—Berkeley, Stanford, USC—produce graduates earning double what similar programs suggest for Notre Dame de Namur, reflecting differences in recruiting pipelines, alumni networks, and employer perception. While $68,000 is a perfectly respectable starting salary that beats most college majors, it's modest for a CS degree in Silicon Valley, where even mid-tier programs often crack six figures.

The practical question: will your child land the internships and job opportunities that justify the Bay Area's cost of living? Without program-specific outcomes, you're betting on their ability to compete with graduates from better-resourced programs in the same backyard. The debt is reasonable, but maximizing those estimated earnings will require hustle—strong projects, networking, and possibly targeting employers outside the ultra-competitive tech giants that dominate local recruiting.