BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 12 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff

+$165,948 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.

6.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+61%Estimated return after 10 years
$88,589Observed earnings · year 4
$63,973Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark is $41,487 per year below this threshold.

Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$88,589 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$88,589Typical earnings four years after completion
$96,947Average earnings five years after completion
$24,706Typical federal student debt
86thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
3Degrees awarded in 2024–25
10College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Engineering Physics

How much do Engineering Physics bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $88,589 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $24,706. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Engineering Physics?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $85,901 to $90,938 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Engineering Physics?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$88,589
Federal debt
$24,706
Programs in the comparison
12
10 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$118,632
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$85,901National median$88,58975th percentile$90,938
10 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$90,93875th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$24,706Median federal debt across programs that report it
3Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

$102,211 four years after completionChampaign, IL · inspect the full program →
Lowest reported federal debt

Murray State University

$19,521 among completer borrowersMurray, KY · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

25 reported awards in 2024–25Platteville, WI · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

12 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 12 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$102,2112Colorado School of Mines$97,4973Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$94,0844Ohio State University-Main Campus$90,9385Fordham University$90,4656Murray State University$86,7137Augustana College$85,9938University of Wisconsin-Platteville$85,9019Stephen F Austin State University$80,08610Grace College and Theological Seminary$74,337

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Physicists$172,250 median wage20,430 jobs nationwide+7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$82,110–$274,110 typical wage rangeArchitectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 median wage220,260 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 14,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$120,810–$262,760 typical wage rangeNatural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeEngineers, All Other$122,930 median wage154,070 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 8,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$66,810–$189,950 typical wage rangeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$109,270 median wage40,270 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$61,550–$210,370 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

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.