Computer and Information Sciences at Valley City State University

Computer science programs nationally cluster around $61,000 in first-year earnings, with debt loads near $25,000—figures this Valley City State program appears to match. But here's the catch: we're relying on national benchmarks because the school's graduating cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. The estimated debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 suggests manageable borrowing if these peer-program numbers hold true, though North Dakota's single reported data point from the University of North Dakota shows slightly higher earnings at $65,000.

What complicates the picture is North Dakota's small tech market. The state has only seven computer science bachelor's programs, and outside of UND, we lack concrete earnings data. Graduates from smaller programs often need to relocate for optimal job opportunities, which means the regional salary context may matter less than your child's willingness to move to tech hubs. The relatively low debt estimate works in the program's favor—even if earnings come in below the national median, the burden remains light enough to manage while building experience.

The practical issue is that you're making a decision with borrowed data from hundreds of other programs. If your child is committed to staying in North Dakota and you want certainty about local outcomes, UND's reported $65,000 figure provides that. Valley City State may deliver similar results at similar cost, but without actual graduate data, you're operating on educated guesswork rather than this school's proven track record.