Computer and Information Sciences at Randolph-Macon College

Randolph-Macon's computer science program produces earnings significantly below what you'd expect for this degree. At $43,825 one year out, graduates earn about $17,500 less than the Virginia median and $25,000 less than comparable graduates at VCU or James Madison—schools with similar accessibility. This places the program in the bottom 10% both statewide and nationally, which is particularly concerning given that computer science typically commands strong salaries even at modest institutions.

The debt load of $27,000 isn't outrageous on its own, but paired with these earnings, it creates a debt-to-income ratio of 0.62—manageable but higher than you'd want for a tech degree. The real issue is opportunity cost: Virginia offers multiple public universities where CS graduates earn nearly double what Randolph-Macon grads make. Even accounting for the small sample size (fewer than 30 graduates, which could skew results), the gap is too substantial to ignore.

For a private liberal arts college charging private tuition, these outcomes don't justify the investment unless your child has specific non-financial reasons to attend Randolph-Macon. If they're set on computer science, Virginia's public universities offer demonstrably better returns. If they're drawn to the small college environment, they should at least understand they're likely sacrificing $40,000+ in first-year earnings compared to in-state alternatives.