Computer Science at University of San Diego

The small cohort size here demands caution, but if these numbers hold, USD's computer science program is punching well above its weight. At $105,000 in first-year earnings, graduates are making 50% more than the typical California CS grad and outpacing 95% of programs both statewide and nationally. The debt load of roughly $20,000 is remarkably manageable—you're looking at just two months of salary to cover the full amount borrowed.

What makes this particularly interesting is the value gap between USD and the Silicon Valley elite. Sure, Berkeley and Stanford grads earn $45-70,000 more initially, but those programs are exponentially harder to get into. With a 47% admission rate, USD offers accessible entry to six-figure CS earnings, something rare outside California's most selective institutions. The lower Pell grant percentage suggests this program serves a relatively affluent student body, which may partially explain the strong outcomes.

The caveat matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in this data, one or two outlier salaries could be skewing everything upward. But even accounting for that uncertainty, the fundamentals look strong. For families who can afford USD's private tuition (check net price calculators first) and whose student isn't targeting the ultra-elite schools, this represents a legitimate path to top-tier CS earnings without the cutthroat competition of Berkeley or Stanford admissions.