Computer and Information Sciences at Our Lady of the Lake University

The debt-to-earnings ratio looks reasonable—around $24,000 in debt against estimated first-year earnings of $55,000 suggests manageable payments. But context matters here. These figures are derived from other Texas computer science programs rather than actual outcomes for Our Lady of the Lake graduates, and the school serves a predominantly first-generation college population (57% receive Pell grants). When top Texas programs like UT Austin and Texas A&M produce starting salaries above $80,000—and even Prairie View A&M reports nearly $78,000—a $55,000 estimate sits at the state median but well below what flagship universities deliver.

Computer science can be employer-sensitive in ways that matter for career trajectory. The estimated earnings here fall $6,000 short of the national median for CS bachelor's programs, which isn't catastrophic but signals you're likely looking at different hiring pipelines than graduates from research universities command. For students who need to stay local and have limited options, this could still provide entry to the tech sector. But if your child has admission offers from Texas public universities with stronger tech recruiting, those programs show substantially higher earning power that would compound over a career.

The practical question: can your family afford to pass up $20,000-30,000 more in first-year earnings that peer programs demonstrate? That gap funds graduate school, accelerates debt payoff, or builds early savings. Without actual outcome data for this specific program, you're making a leap of faith when clearer bets exist elsewhere in Texas.