Location: Ashland, OR•In-State Tuition: $12,093•Out-of-State Tuition: $30,723•Admission Rate: 83%
Median Earnings (1yr)
$51,167
24th percentile
40th percentile in Oregon
Median Debt
$33,500
34% above national median
D/E Ratio: 0.65 ManageableSample: 29 graduates Limited data

Analysis

Southern Oregon University's Computer Science program produces starting salaries around $51,000—about $10,000 below Oregon's median for CS degrees and nearly $20,000 behind University of Oregon graduates. Within Oregon's small market of seven CS programs, this ranks near the middle (40th percentile), but that still means tech employers are paying SOU grads significantly less than peers from flagship schools. The positive angle? Debt loads are remarkably light at $33,500, well below both state and national medians, giving graduates breathing room that many CS students don't get.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 is reasonable for any bachelor's degree, though underwhelming for a technical field where ratios below 0.5 are common at stronger programs. The real concern is opportunity cost: students could attend Oregon Institute of Technology for similar debt but earn $7,000 more annually, a gap that compounds dramatically over a career. However, if your student values SOU's smaller setting in Ashland and plans to stay in the region, the lighter debt load provides flexibility that shouldn't be dismissed.

Fair warning: these figures come from a very small sample of graduates (under 30), so individual outcomes could vary considerably. For families treating this as a pure return-on-investment calculation, stronger Oregon alternatives exist. For students prioritizing fit and affordability over maximum earnings, SOU delivers a functional CS credential without crushing debt.

Where Southern Oregon University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all computer and information sciences bachelors's programs nationally

Southern Oregon UniversityOther computer and information sciences programs

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

Earnings Distribution

How Southern Oregon University graduates compare to all programs nationally

Southern Oregon University earns $51k — 24th percentile among computer and information sciences bachelors programs.

Compare to Similar Programs in Oregon

Computer and Information Sciences bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Oregon (7 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Southern Oregon UniversityAshland$12,093$51,167—$33,5000.65
University of OregonEugene$15,669$70,055$97,384$24,7640.35
Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath Falls$12,687$58,253$75,015$24,5000.42
George Fox UniversityNewberg$40,940$55,340———
Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth$11,025$51,703$68,922$26,0000.50
National Median—$61,322—$25,0000.41

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with computer and information sciences 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

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.

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

Computer Network Architects

Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning, including analysis of capacity needs for network infrastructures. May also design network and computer security measures. May research and recommend network and data communications hardware and software.

$130,390/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Telecommunications Engineering Specialists

Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.

$130,390/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Information Security Analysts

Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information. Assess system vulnerabilities for security risks and propose and implement risk mitigation strategies. May ensure appropriate security controls are in place that will safeguard digital files and vital electronic infrastructure. May respond to computer security breaches and viruses.

$124,910/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
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 Southern Oregon University, approximately 24% 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.

Sample Size: Based on 29 graduates with reported earnings and 25 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.