Systems Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.27. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 230 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 | 6 | 274 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 32 | 605 | $82,292 | $105,185 | $19,500 7 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 95 | 2,163 | $123,493 | $144,565 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 34 | 143 | $158,446 | $162,438 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 5 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 57 | 766 | $122,553 | $148,730 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $96,168 | $144,830 | $12,000 |
| Maine Maritime Academy ME · Public · 17 graduates measured | $88,940 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 96 graduates measured | $87,546 | $122,299 | $19,444 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 65 graduates measured | $84,822 | $106,805 | $19,500 |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 40 graduates measured | $78,987 | $100,468 | $23,500 |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $78,298 | $114,815 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte NC · Public · 33 graduates measured | $77,082 | $84,648 | $21,979 |
| Kennesaw State University GA · Public · 49 graduates measured | $72,119 | $89,696 | $31,000 |
| Texas A & M International University TX · Public · 57 graduates measured | $62,755 | $60,126 | $13,186 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 59 graduates measured | $152,712 | $227,052 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $145,458 | $178,619 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 185 graduates measured | $144,552 | $154,775 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Dallas TX · Public · 23 graduates measured | $143,632 | $144,307 | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public · 26 graduates measured | $142,234 | $141,618 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 62 graduates measured | $136,054 | $152,353 | Data unavailable |
| Florida Institute of Technology FL · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $134,890 | $149,291 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 63 graduates measured | $133,602 | $154,767 | Data unavailable |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $130,189 | $143,717 | Data unavailable |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 101 graduates measured | $127,771 | $142,846 | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 47 graduates measured | $125,387 | $137,191 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $124,652 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $123,458 | $152,854 | Data unavailable |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology MO · Public · 30 graduates measured | $118,433 | $145,788 | Data unavailable |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach FL · Private, nonprofit · 146 graduates measured | $117,819 | $125,093 | 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.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens Institute of Technology NJ · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $137,469 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Detroit Mercy MI · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $133,531 | 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 Systems Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Database architects | $139,500 | +9.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial engineers | $102,440 | +12.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineers, all other | $122,930 | +3.7% | 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 (1)
- 14.2701 Systems Engineering