Engineering-Related Fields: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 15.15. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 388 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 | 24 | 29 | $73,664 | $88,893 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 13 | 37 | $63,697 | $59,733 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 92 | 1,834 | $73,960 | $89,619 | $23,250 26 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3 | 0 | $100,828 | Data unavailable | $22,718 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 174 | 5,872 | $106,823 | $125,651 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 17 | 76 | $176,776 | $171,574 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 46 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 64 | 739 | $103,532 | $121,041 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University CA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $110,280 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Arkansas Grantham AR · Public · 26 graduates measured | $95,322 | $108,380 | $43,857 |
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $85,167 | Data unavailable | $7,437 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 90 graduates measured | $83,182 | $102,320 | $26,225 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 90 graduates measured | $83,182 | $102,320 | $26,225 |
| Art Center College of Design CA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $81,020 | $92,293 | $34,875 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology MO · Public · 99 graduates measured | $80,597 | $91,035 | $27,325 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology NY · Private, nonprofit · 51 graduates measured | $79,882 | $92,780 | $23,250 |
| Clarkson University NY · Private, nonprofit · 104 graduates measured | $78,981 | $88,793 | $25,625 |
| University of South Carolina-Upstate SC · Public · 23 graduates measured | $78,763 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $78,642 | $87,914 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Chico CA · Public · 46 graduates measured | $78,346 | $86,430 | Data unavailable |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 75 graduates measured | $76,968 | $89,514 | $24,836 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout WI · Public · 47 graduates measured | $75,934 | $86,490 | $19,469 |
| Clemson University SC · Public · 61 graduates measured | $74,839 | $94,449 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas AR · Public · 127 graduates measured | $101,003 | Data unavailable | $22,718 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 17 graduates measured | $173,195 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Stanford University CA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $161,521 | $206,093 | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 98 graduates measured | $143,680 | $162,502 | Data unavailable |
| Washington State University WA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $138,430 | $155,639 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $134,027 | $127,277 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $129,756 | $144,681 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 51 graduates measured | $129,668 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Kettering University MI · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $128,834 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-Baltimore County MD · Public · 18 graduates measured | $128,766 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $126,648 | $136,480 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $126,039 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Santa Clara University CA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $124,939 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $123,209 | $139,567 | Data unavailable |
| Clarkson University NY · Private, nonprofit · 117 graduates measured | $122,909 | $130,454 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn MI · Public · 56 graduates measured | $122,196 | $131,391 | 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.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $186,411 | $180,549 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State University-Springfield MO · Public · 31 graduates measured | $85,255 | 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 Engineering-Related Fields
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities managers | $106,660 | +4.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial production managers | $126,060 | +2.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial engineers | $102,440 | +12.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineers, all other | $122,930 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial engineering technologists and technicians | $66,120 | +3.1% | Associate's degree |
| Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other | $78,350 | +2.8% | Associate's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Commercial and industrial designers | $83,910 | +2.4% | Bachelor's 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)
- 15.1501 Engineering/Industrial Management
- 15.1502 Engineering Design
- 15.1503 Packaging Science
- 15.1599 Engineering-Related Fields, Other