Computer Science at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rose-Hulman computer science graduates earn $100,294 their first year out—substantially more than Purdue's $94,786 and nearly 50% above Indiana's median of $68,485. By year four, earnings jump to $157,625, reflecting both the program's strong technical foundation and the elite employers who recruit here. At 80th percentile among Indiana CS programs, this is genuinely top-tier performance from a school many parents haven't heard of.

The $24,500 median debt is entirely manageable given first-year earnings, creating a debt-to-income ratio of just 0.24. That means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in three months of gross salary—a level of financial freedom that opens doors early in their careers. The moderate sample size (30-100 grads) is reasonable for a specialized engineering school and doesn't undermine these findings.

Here's the surprising part: Rose-Hulman's 73% admission rate suggests it's more accessible than the earnings data would predict. If your child has strong STEM aptitude but doesn't have the profile for Stanford or MIT, this is exactly the kind of program where selectivity and outcomes diverge in your favor. You're paying for an engineering-focused education that delivers results comparable to far more competitive programs.