Computer and Information Sciences at Washington University in St Louis

Computer science programs at Missouri's top public universities regularly place graduates at $70,000+ in their first year, but Washington University's estimated outcomes land around the state median of $62,910. For a highly selective private institution with a 12% admission rate and SAT scores averaging 1530, these peer-program projections suggest surprisingly modest returns—especially when several state schools with far less selective admissions are producing stronger starting salaries.

The estimated debt load of $31,371 creates a manageable 0.50 ratio to first-year earnings, which looks reasonable on paper. However, context matters here. Similar programs at Missouri S&T and Truman State not only estimate higher earnings but also carry the state median debt of around $25,000. That combination—higher pay with lower borrowing—makes those alternatives considerably more efficient from a pure financial standpoint. WashU's private school premium doesn't appear to translate into a computer science salary advantage based on what comparable Missouri programs typically deliver.

The challenge for parents is that these figures come from peer programs rather than WashU's actual computer science graduates, so the school might genuinely outperform—or underperform—these estimates. Given the gap between WashU's selectivity and the projected outcomes, you'd want to press the department hard for placement data, internship connections, and employer relationships that might justify choosing this program over stronger-performing state alternatives.