Location: Santa Clara, CA•In-State Tuition: $59,241•Admission Rate: 44%•Avg SAT: 1417
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$45,387
Est. from CA median (5 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$25,603
Est. from national median (20 programs)

Analysis

Santa Clara University's selective engineering reputation doesn't yet translate into strong earnings for this particular program. Based on comparable Computer Software and Media Applications programs in California, first-year graduates typically earn around $45,400—barely above the national median of $38,200 and dramatically lower than the $103,000 USC graduates report or even the $83,500 from University of Phoenix. For a school with a 1417 average SAT and 44% acceptance rate, these figures suggest this specific program may not be leveraging Silicon Valley's tech ecosystem as effectively as families might expect.

The estimated $25,600 in debt, derived from similar private universities nationally, yields a manageable 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's meaningfully better than California's typical $35,400 for this degree, though still a significant burden on a $45,000 salary. The modest debt load offers some cushion, but it doesn't solve the core question: why aren't these graduates commanding higher starting salaries given Santa Clara's location and selectivity?

If your child is passionate about this field at Santa Clara specifically, dig deeper into placement outcomes, curriculum focus, and whether graduates are actually entering software development roles versus adjacent positions. The peer data suggests this program produces middling outcomes in a state where the same degree can launch careers at vastly different salary levels.

Where Santa Clara University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all computer software and media applications bachelors's programs nationally

Santa Clara University (estimated ±10%)Other computer software and media applications programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Computer Software and Media Applications bachelors's programs at peer institutions in California (14 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara$59,241$45,387*—$25,603*—
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles$68,237$103,071*$134,326$23,500*0.23
University of Phoenix-CaliforniaOntario—$83,476*$57,111$44,225*0.53
Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco$28,024$45,387*$72,792$39,715*0.88
University of Silicon ValleySan Jose$22,480$37,693*—$31,000*0.82
DeVry University-CaliforniaOntario$17,488$32,159*$38,887$48,849*1.52
National Median—$38,234*—$27,000*0.71
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with computer software and media applications graduates

Computer and Information Systems Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis, and computer programming.

$171,200/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Computer and Information Research Scientists

Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.

$140,910/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Software Developers

Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.

$131,450/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Database Administrators

Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.

$123,100/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Database Architects

Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks. Set standards for database operations, programming, query processes, and security. Model, design, and construct large relational databases or data warehouses. Create and optimize data models for warehouse infrastructure and workflow. Integrate new systems with existing warehouse structure and refine system performance and functionality.

$123,100/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Data Warehousing Specialists

Design, model, or implement corporate data warehousing activities. Program and configure warehouses of database information and provide support to warehouse users.

$123,100/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Data Scientists

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Intelligence Analysts

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

$99,800/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Computer Programmers

Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.

$98,670/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Web Developers

Develop and implement websites, web applications, application databases, and interactive web interfaces. Evaluate code to ensure that it is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers and devices. Optimize website performance, scalability, and server-side code and processes. May develop website infrastructure and integrate websites with other computer applications.

$95,380/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree
About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Santa Clara University, approximately 11% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 5 similar programs in CA. Actual outcomes may vary.