Computer Software and Media Applications at Tulane University of Louisiana

A first-year salary around $38,000—roughly what similar software programs produce nationally—sits awkwardly against Tulane's elite credentials and selective admissions. For context, computer science bachelor's programs nationally report median starting salaries in the $65,000-$80,000 range, meaning this specialized software track appears to lag behind more traditional tech degrees by a significant margin. That gap matters when you're looking at an estimated $25,600 in debt from a private university where the sticker price runs over $60,000 annually.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 is manageable on paper, but the real concern is opportunity cost. Students admitted to Tulane—with its 15% acceptance rate and 1443 average SAT—likely have options at other schools offering stronger-earning tech programs. Peer programs at the 75th percentile nationally produce starting salaries above $52,000, which would make that debt burden far easier to manage and provide better runway for career growth in an industry where early earnings trajectory matters.

Given that these figures come from national peer programs rather than Tulane's actual outcomes, the uncertainty cuts both ways: Tulane's program could outperform or underperform these estimates. But banking on significant outperformance seems risky when comparable private universities in other states show similar modest outcomes for software applications degrees, and when your child could likely gain admission to schools with stronger documented tech employment pipelines.