Computer Science at The University of Tennessee-Martin

Starting salaries of $46,710 place this computer science program in the bottom 5% nationally and the bottom quartile even among Tennessee schools. While debt estimates based on similar Tennessee programs suggest a manageable $23,086 burden—yielding a decent 0.49 debt-to-earnings ratio—the real concern is that graduates are earning $24,000 less than the national median for CS majors and roughly $13,000 below the state median. When nearby UT-Knoxville produces $70,000 first-year earners and even Tennessee Tech hits $63,000, UT-Martin's outcomes appear notably weaker for a field where strong earnings are the norm.

The 38% earnings growth to $64,426 by year four suggests graduates do advance, but they're still catching up to where most CS majors start elsewhere. This matters in technology careers, where early salary compounds through raises and job switches. For a field known for high starting pay regardless of school prestige, these numbers suggest either regional market constraints limiting opportunities or graduates not securing typical software development roles.

This program makes financial sense only if your child needs to stay close to Martin and can't access stronger CS programs within Tennessee's public system. The debt level won't cripple them, but the opportunity cost of earning $20,000+ less annually than peers at UT-Knoxville or Tennessee Tech adds up quickly over a career.