Computer and Information Sciences at Valdosta State University

Valdosta State's computer science program produces graduates earning slightly above both national and state medians, though the small sample size means these numbers should be viewed as directional rather than definitive. First-year earnings of $62,074 edge out Georgia's $61,318 median and place graduates in the 60th percentile among state programs—a respectable showing for a school with an 83% admission rate and average SAT scores around 1040.

The manageable debt load of $28,500 creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46, meaning graduates owe less than half their first-year salary. This is considerably better than the national median debt of $25,000 suggests, since Valdosta students carry slightly more debt but also earn slightly more. The 10% earnings growth to $68,221 by year four indicates steady career progression, though graduates still fall well short of what Georgia Tech ($105,137) or Spelman ($98,692) alumni command.

For Georgia families where flagship universities aren't accessible, Valdosta offers a viable path into tech careers without crushing debt. The program serves its primarily in-state, Pell-eligible population (51% receive Pell grants) reasonably well. Just remember that with fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, a few outliers could skew these figures significantly—the true picture might be somewhat better or worse than these numbers suggest.