Electrical Engineering

One hundred fifty-seven Electrical Engineering graduates leave CMU earning a median $139,337 at year one and $250,168 at four years. The four-year figure reflects the premium CMU EE graduates command in semiconductors, robotics, and systems engineering -- industries where CMU's research reputation translates directly to employer demand. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.160 (ROI grade A) is clean. This program delivers one of the strongest four-year earnings jumps in the dataset: the gap between year one and year four ($110k) suggests rapid advancement into senior technical or specialized roles.

Berkeley Electrical Engineering (480 graduates) earns $137,295 at year one and $200,543 at four years (ROI grade A, DTE 0.105). These are near-CS earnings from a discipline that spans semiconductor design, hardware systems, and signal processing -- sectors where Berkeley's physical proximity to Silicon Valley creates direct recruiting pipelines. Median debt of $14,437 is low given the earnings. The four-year figure ($200k) reflects EE graduates who move into senior engineering, management, or startup roles within their first few years out. At a California in-state cost of roughly $13-16k per year in net price, this program's financial case is among the strongest in the country.

Electrical Engineering (87 graduates) earns $117,345 at year one and $161,118 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.102 (ROI grade A) and median debt of $11,935. The MIT EECS umbrella (joint EE/CS degrees also counted here) produces graduates who go into semiconductor design, power systems, telecommunications, hardware engineering, and quantitative roles. The year-four figure of $161k reflects industry progression in a field where mid-career compensation grows sharply with specialization and experience. MIT's EECS program is one of the most selective and technically intensive in the world.

342 graduates per year and median 1-year earnings of $96,997 rising to $146,003 at year four. The debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.211 (grade: A). Texas's energy sector, defense contractors in San Antonio, and Austin's semiconductor cluster all absorb UT electrical engineering graduates in significant numbers. This program sits inside one of the top-10 EE programs nationally by research output. The combination of low public-school debt and an industry that actively competes for talent makes this one of the cleanest ROI propositions in the batch.

Electrical Engineering (31 graduates) earns $84,019 at year one and $143,332 at year four. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.143 (ROI grade A) with median debt of $12,000 -- the lowest program debt in Columbia's dataset, contrasting sharply with the higher debt for CS and economics. The placement runs into semiconductor, telecommunications, and financial engineering roles. The year-four figure of $143k reflects mid-career progression in NYC-adjacent technology and finance roles. Columbia's small EE program punches above its enrollment in specialized placement.

Electrical Engineering (26 graduates) reports $139,068 in four-year earnings. Scorecard does not report year-one earnings or debt figures for this program cohort. At Cooper Union's net price structure ($13,269 average), even substantial debt would produce excellent ROI -- but the low net cost means most students accumulate minimal debt. EE graduates from Cooper Union enter New York City's technology and engineering markets with a credential that carries strong recognition among engineering employers.

UCLA Electrical Engineering (128 graduates, $85,369 at year one, $126,209 at year four, ROI grade A, DTE 0.209) spans semiconductor, hardware, and systems engineering disciplines where LA's aerospace and defense contractors and Silicon Valley's hardware companies recruit heavily. Median debt of $17,877 is moderate. The four-year trajectory to $126k reflects promotion into senior engineering roles or movement into adjacent high-compensation areas like chip design or systems architecture. At California in-state net prices, this program's total cost of roughly $50,000-$60,000 produces a payback period well under the campus average.