Computer Science at Occidental College

Occidental's Computer Science graduates start at $63,845—roughly $7,000 below California's median for CS programs and nearly $10,000 below the national median. While the school enrolls academically strong students (average SAT of 1461), its CS program ranks in just the 40th percentile statewide for earnings. Given that you're in Los Angeles, home to some of the nation's highest-paying tech markets, these numbers deserve scrutiny.

The debt picture is reasonable at $22,067, creating a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's a relief compared to many liberal arts CS programs. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could swing significantly year to year. A few graduates taking nonprofit or education jobs, or pursuing grad school, could drag the median down considerably.

For a family paying private school tuition, the value proposition is shaky. Occidental's CS grads earn less than half what peers at nearby USC or Pomona make, and even trail UC schools by substantial margins. If your child is drawn to Occidental's small-class environment and liberal arts ethos, understand they're making a lifestyle choice over an earnings one—this isn't where you go to maximize CS career prospects. The program works financially only if you're comparing it to non-selective alternatives, not to California's competitive CS landscape.