Computer Science at Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee's highly selective Computer Science program—with its 17% admission rate and 1504 average SAT—operates in a competitive Virginia market where similar programs produce first-year earnings around $72,000. That's solid for a CS bachelor's degree, tracking closely with the national median of $71,000. The estimated $25,000 in debt translates to a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates would owe roughly four months of their first-year salary.

Here's the wrinkle: we're working with estimates derived from peer Virginia programs and similar selective institutions, not actual outcomes from W&L's CS graduates specifically. The small program size that triggers this data suppression could mean more personalized attention, but it also means less certainty about whether W&L's outcomes match, exceed, or fall short of these state benchmarks. Other Virginia programs show a wide spread—from William & Mary's $85,000 down to Radford's $67,000—suggesting that institutional factors matter beyond just the degree.

The financial fundamentals look reasonable based on comparable programs, and W&L's academic prestige could provide networking advantages that don't show up in year-one earnings. But you're essentially betting on the school's reputation and small-program benefits without confirmation that their CS graduates actually achieve these estimated outcomes. If your child has CS offers from Virginia schools with verified earnings data in the $73,000-$85,000 range, those provide more certainty about return on investment.