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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Engineering-Related Fields worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 34 college programs with reportable data.

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

+$192,563 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.

5.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+74%Estimated return after 10 years
$90,275Observed earnings · year 4
$68,186Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark is $48,141 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$90,275 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

$90,275Typical earnings four years after completion
$87,666Average earnings five years after completion
$25,368Typical federal student debt
88thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
124Degrees awarded in 2024–25
34College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 10 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Engineering-Related Fields

How much do Engineering-Related Fields bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $90,275 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 $25,368. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Engineering-Related Fields?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $83,405 to $94,449 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Engineering-Related Fields?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 11 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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$83,619
Federal debt
$17,625
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$90,275
Federal debt
$25,368
Programs in the comparison
34
34 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$127,032
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
40
40 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$180,549
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$119,889
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 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$83,405National median$90,27575th percentile$94,449
34 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$94,44975th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,368Median federal debt across programs that report it
4Programs 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

The University of Texas at Austin

$145,638 four years after completionAustin, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Utah Valley University

$13,850 among completer borrowersOrem, UT · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Michigan State University

160 reported awards in 2024–25East Lansing, MI · 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.

$108,380Observed year-4 earnings$82,075
$6,376Annual college-wide average net price$37,050
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.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1The University of Texas at Austin$145,6382New York University$114,5723University of Arkansas Grantham$108,3804Arizona State University Campus Immersion$102,3205Arizona State University Digital Immersion$102,3206Stevens Institute of Technology$101,7987University of Arizona$101,5578Miami University-Oxford$99,4739University of Southern California$96,12010Clemson University$94,449

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.

Architectural 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 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 rangeIndustrial Engineers$102,440 median wage365,740 jobs nationwide+12.4% projected growth through 2035 · 23,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,370–$159,860 typical wage rangeIndustrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$66,120 median wage75,570 jobs nationwide+3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 6,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,300–$99,150 typical wage rangeIndustrial Production Managers$126,060 median wage246,250 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 17,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$78,000–$205,520 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 rangeFacilities Managers$106,660 median wage156,180 jobs nationwide+4.6% projected growth through 2035 · 14,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$64,480–$176,120 typical wage rangeCommercial and Industrial Designers$83,910 median wage33,490 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,460–$139,770 typical wage rangeEngineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$78,350 median wage59,930 jobs nationwide+2.8% projected growth through 2035 · 5,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,030–$118,330 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide

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

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$81,765
Federal debt
$27,000
63 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$81,404
Federal debt
$24,250
55 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$83,322
Federal debt
$28,302
54 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Construction Engineering Technology/Technician

Year-4 earnings
$92,524
Federal debt
$24,745
45 reporting programs →

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.