Computer Science at Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Wheaton's Computer Science program sits squarely at the Massachusetts median for this degree, with comparable programs in the state typically producing first-year earnings around $86,000 and debt near $22,400. That's a healthy 0.26 debt-to-earnings ratio—well within what's considered manageable—and notably above the national median of $71,000 for computer science bachelor's degrees. The estimated debt burden is also slightly lower than both state and national benchmarks, which matters when you're comparing borrowing levels across schools.

The challenge is context. While these figures suggest solid fundamentals, Massachusetts is home to some of the country's strongest tech pipelines. MIT and Harvard grads in this field start around $150,000, and even smaller liberal arts colleges like Williams and Amherst place their computer science graduates at six figures. Wheaton's 71% admission rate and moderate selectivity profile suggest it's targeting a different market segment, but parents should recognize the substantial earnings gap between this program and the state's top performers in the field.

For families focused on return on investment rather than brand prestige, the estimated numbers here work: reasonable debt serviced by solid tech-sector earnings. But if your student has the academic profile for more selective programs—and Wheaton's average SAT of 1321 suggests admitted students might—it's worth exploring whether they could access those higher-earning pathways elsewhere in Massachusetts.