Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 35 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$82,786 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
7.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
+32%Modeled 10-year ROI
$79,501Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$79,501Median reported earnings · year 4
$82,641Average reported earnings · year 5
$36,156Median federal debt
74thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
35Reporting programs
32With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $33,070
- Federal debt
- $10,813
- Reporting programs
- 10
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,105
- Federal debt
- $17,246
- Reporting programs
- 22
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,501
- Federal debt
- $36,156
- Reporting programs
- 35
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$76,900National median$79,50175th percentile$85,115
32 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$125,5312Brigham Young University-Idaho$113,7553University of Houston-Downtown$112,2444Oregon Institute of Technology$112,1695Wentworth Institute of Technology$95,5266Rochester Institute of Technology$95,4917Virginia State University$89,7028Fresno Pacific University$88,5429Pennsylvania College of Technology$85,11510Farmingdale State College$81,036Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All OtherSOC 17-3029 · 5 crosswalk linksSoftware Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersSOC 15-1253 · 3 crosswalk linksElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansSOC 17-3023 · 2 crosswalk linksComputer ProgrammersSOC 15-1251 · 1 crosswalk linksSoftware DevelopersSOC 15-1252 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Troy, NY | $125,531 | $23,582 | +148% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Brigham Young University-IdahoBachelor's Degree | Rexburg, ID | $113,755 | $15,539 | +223% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | University of Houston-DowntownBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $112,244 | Not available | +203% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Oregon Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Klamath Falls, OR | $112,169 | $31,000 | +177% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $95,526 | Not available | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Rochester Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $95,491 | $30,750 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Virginia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Petersburg, VA | $89,702 | Not available | +84% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Fresno Pacific UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fresno, CA | $88,542 | Not available | +86% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Pennsylvania College of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Williamsport, PA | $85,115 | Not available | +43% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Farmingdale State CollegeBachelor's Degree | Farmingdale, NY | $81,036 | Not available | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | DeVry College of New YorkBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $79,501 | $55,425 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | DeVry University-ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Phoenix, AZ | $79,501 | $55,425 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 13 | DeVry University-CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Ontario, CA | $79,501 | $55,425 | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | DeVry University-FloridaBachelor's Degree | Orlando, FL | $79,501 | $55,425 | +16% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | DeVry University-GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Decatur, GA | $79,501 | $55,425 | +18% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | DeVry University-IllinoisBachelor's Degree | Lisle, IL | $79,501 | $55,425 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | DeVry University-OhioBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $79,501 | $55,425 | +23% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | DeVry University-TexasBachelor's Degree | Irving, TX | $79,501 | $55,425 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 19 | DeVry University-VirginiaBachelor's Degree | Arlington, VA | $79,501 | $55,425 | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | University of HoustonBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $78,396 | $21,919 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | ECPI UniversityBachelor's Degree | Virginia Beach, VA | $76,900 | $36,956 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Kennesaw State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kennesaw, GA | $76,243 | Not available | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $71,514 | $26,000 | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Central Connecticut State UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Britain, CT | $71,243 | $25,252 | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | SUNY Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Utica, NY | $68,548 | Not available | -0% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | CUNY New York City College of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $65,285 | $12,500 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Full Sail UniversityBachelor's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $59,181 | $25,000 | -58% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-BayamonBachelor's Degree | Bayamon, PR | $53,013 | Not available | -63% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Indiana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Terre Haute, IN | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $10,873 |
| 30 | Eastern Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ypsilanti, MI | Not available | $31,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,407 |
| 31 | Sam Houston State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntsville, TX | Not available | $20,375 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,404 |
| 32 | DeVry University-ColoradoBachelor's Degree | , | $79,501 | $55,425 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 33 | DeVry University-MissouriBachelor's Degree | , | $79,501 | $55,425 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 34 | DeVry University-PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | , | $79,501 | $55,425 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 35 | Pittsburgh Technical CollegeBachelor's Degree | , | $78,708 | $35,356 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.