Computer and Information Sciences at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Texas A&M-Kingsville's computer science graduates earn $47,940 their first year out—about $7,000 below the Texas state median and well behind flagship programs like UT Austin ($111,587) or even the main Texas A&M campus ($81,231). While the program sits at the 40th percentile statewide, meaning it's roughly middle-of-the-pack among Texas schools, that's concerning for a field where strong earnings are typically the main draw. The debt level of $26,500 isn't excessive, but with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55, graduates are starting with obligations equal to more than half their first-year salary.

The institution serves a predominantly middle- and lower-income population (55% receive Pell grants), and that access mission matters. However, parents should recognize that even accounting for cost of living differences in South Texas, this graduate earns only 43% of what they'd make leaving Rice or UT Austin with the same degree. The relatively open admissions may mean students here face different academic preparation, but the earnings gap is substantial enough to warrant serious consideration of alternatives.

With fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. If your student has strong academics, pushing for admission to a higher-ranked Texas public program could literally double their starting salary. If A&M-Kingsville is the realistic option, go in understanding this is a path to a tech job, not necessarily a lucrative tech career—at least not initially.