Computer and Information Sciences at Sullivan University

Sullivan University's computer science program manages to outperform the Kentucky median despite trailing national benchmarks by about $9,000 in first-year earnings. What stands out is the trajectory: graduates see their earnings jump 39% from $52,134 to $72,304 by year four, ultimately reaching levels comparable to University of Louisville grads. In a state where several programs struggle to break $50,000, this program's four-year outcomes rank solidly in the middle of Kentucky's pack.

The debt picture is more encouraging than it first appears. At $36,446, it's higher than the state and national median of $25,000, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 remains manageable for a tech degree. That means graduates earn enough in their first year to theoretically pay off their loans in less than a year of living frugally. Given the strong earnings growth, most graduates should find this debt burden decreasing relative to their income fairly quickly.

The takeaway: this program won't land students at the top of Kentucky's CS earnings ladder right away, but it offers a solid middle-tier option with notably stronger growth potential than initial salaries suggest. Families should factor in that Sullivan serves fewer Pell-eligible students, which may indicate different support structures than public universities. If your student can keep debt near the median rather than the maximum, the four-year earnings make this a reasonable investment.