Computer Science at University of Southern California

USC's computer science program delivers exceptional outcomes that nearly double both national and California medians. Graduates earn $137,284 in their first year—placing them in the 95th percentile nationally and among California programs—while carrying just $20,178 in debt. This 0.15 debt-to-earnings ratio means students could theoretically pay off their loans in less than two months of work, an unusually strong financial position for any field, let alone one that already pays well.

The program sits in elite company, trailing only Caltech and Berkeley among California schools and outpacing Stanford's CS graduates in first-year earnings. With 100+ graduates in the dataset, these aren't statistical flukes—they reflect USC's strong pipeline into high-paying tech companies, particularly in nearby Silicon Valley and LA's growing tech sector. The modest 4% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates start at such high salaries that there's limited room for dramatic early-career jumps, a pattern typical of top-tier CS programs where new grads already command senior-level compensation.

The debt level sits higher than California's median for CS programs, likely reflecting USC's private school tuition. However, given the earnings power, this hardly matters—the typical graduate makes more in their first year than many Americans earn in three. For families who can navigate USC's highly selective admissions (10% acceptance rate), this represents one of the strongest returns on investment in computer science education.