Computer and Information Sciences at Texas Woman's University

Texas Woman's University graduates this computer science program with remarkably low debt—just $18,399, which places them in the 95th percentile nationally for affordability. The trade-off? First-year earnings of $55,172 lag behind the national median by about $6,000, though they match Texas's overall median exactly. More telling is where this program sits within Texas: at the 60th percentile for earnings, it outperforms most Texas programs despite being far below flagships like UT Austin ($111,587) or even Texas Tech ($82,521).

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33 is excellent—graduates owe less than four months of their first year's salary. While earnings growth to $61,584 by year four is modest (12%), that low debt burden means graduates have financial flexibility early in their careers. For families prioritizing affordability over maximizing starting salary, this represents a clear path into tech without crushing debt.

The major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes may vary significantly. But if your child is looking for an accessible entry into computer science (95% admission rate, serving a substantial Pell-eligible population) and you want to avoid the debt loads typical of this field, TWU delivers a workable compromise between cost and career outcomes.