Computer Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.09. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 749 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 22 | 400 | $59,991 | $68,110 | $20,821 7 programs |
| Associate's degree | 31 | 218 | $40,136 | $65,316 | $24,083 8 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 393 | 12,158 | $83,729 | $109,015 | $21,666 164 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | $95,558 | Data unavailable | $20,999 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 181 | 6,727 | $111,925 | $136,736 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 71 | 413 | $133,796 | $167,302 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 44 | 62 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State University ID · Public · 31 graduates measured | $82,550 | Data unavailable | $27,028 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 30 graduates measured | $64,190 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 45 graduates measured | $37,939 | Data unavailable | $17,931 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen University-Florida FL · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $53,528 | $69,873 | $24,083 |
| Rasmussen University-Minnesota MN · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $53,528 | $69,873 | $24,083 |
| Rasmussen University-North Dakota ND · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $53,528 | $69,873 | $24,083 |
| Rasmussen University-Illinois IL · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $53,528 | $69,873 | $24,083 |
| Rasmussen University-Wisconsin WI · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $53,528 | $69,873 | $24,083 |
| Rasmussen University-Kansas KS · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $53,528 | $69,873 | $24,083 |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $38,485 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $155,416 | $166,369 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 78 graduates measured | $149,622 | $174,522 | $12,000 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $147,670 | $169,570 | $13,634 |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus WA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $147,670 | $169,570 | $13,634 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus WA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $147,670 | $169,570 | $13,634 |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $137,925 | $228,705 | $17,731 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 189 graduates measured | $121,140 | $159,855 | $18,335 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 128 graduates measured | $114,472 | $148,950 | $17,178 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 76 graduates measured | $111,476 | $142,071 | $20,967 |
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 123 graduates measured | $110,872 | $135,416 | $21,987 |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 97 graduates measured | $105,408 | $135,394 | $21,000 |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 101 graduates measured | $104,513 | $149,139 | $13,049 |
| University of California-Santa Cruz CA · Public · 67 graduates measured | $103,729 | $124,641 | $18,146 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public · 40 graduates measured | $101,093 | $144,703 | $10,000 |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 96 graduates measured | $99,528 | $133,111 | $19,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 24 graduates measured | $90,632 | Data unavailable | $20,999 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 46 graduates measured | $174,031 | $246,366 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $157,175 | $173,180 | Data unavailable |
| Santa Clara University CA · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $149,078 | $231,929 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $142,155 | $228,519 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley PA · Public · 94 graduates measured | $131,945 | $140,393 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 94 graduates measured | $131,945 | $140,393 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 94 graduates measured | $131,945 | $140,393 | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 24 graduates measured | $124,937 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $124,669 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $123,274 | $158,029 | Data unavailable |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $121,469 | $143,746 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fullerton CA · Public · 71 graduates measured | $116,189 | $134,032 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 29 graduates measured | $115,918 | $130,092 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $114,965 | $130,170 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Dallas TX · Public · 27 graduates measured | $114,875 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Computer Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer network architects | $134,050 | +7.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Database architects | $139,500 | +9.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | $104,300 | +5.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer hardware engineers | $161,740 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 14.0901 Computer Engineering, General
- 14.0902 Computer Hardware Engineering
- 14.0903 Computer Software Engineering
- 14.0999 Computer Engineering, Other