Industrial Engineering

What graduates really earn, where the degree pays off most, and whether the numbers add up for you.

Avg Earnings (4yr)

$74,469

Median Earnings

$97,788

Schools Offering

ROI Grade

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $91,614Median: $97,78875th: $102,563

Best Schools for Industrial Engineering by Earnings

#	School	ROI	4yr Earnings	Net Price	Major Debt	Grade
1	Northwestern University IL · Private	94	$138,720	$29,167	$17,912	A
2	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA · Public	97	$128,003	$12,116	$21,750	A
3	Lehigh University PA · Private	93	$121,498	$36,931	$23,834	B+
4	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public	95	$117,930	$13,138	$20,306	A
5	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public	89	$116,641	$24,953	$22,870	B+
6	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public	96	$112,797	$16,665	$19,691	A
7	University of Southern California CA · Private	91	$112,150	$32,740	$18,250	A
8	University of Connecticut CT · Public	85	$111,672	$25,097	$24,889	B+
9	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT · Public	85	$111,672	$10,875	$24,889	B+
10	University of Connecticut-Avery Point CT · Public	87	$111,672	$13,807	$24,889	B+
11	University of Connecticut-Stamford CT · Public	84	$111,672	$16,798	$24,889	B+
12	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus CT · Public	87	$111,672	$16,403	$24,889	B+
13	Northeastern University MA · Private	91	$111,430	$30,915	$25,000	B+
14	University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public	91	$110,711	$17,354	$23,577	B+
15	University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public	94	$109,575	$14,091	$18,027	A
16	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville TN · Public	73	$107,093	$18,976	$24,125	B+
17	Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public	91	$107,031	$14,600	$19,427	A
18	Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public	77	$106,932	$17,339	$21,875	B+
19	Rochester Institute of Technology NY · Private	75	$105,313	$34,906	$30,750	B
20	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College PA · Public	60	$104,758	$24,558	$25,000	B+
21	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public	62	$104,758	$32,875	$25,000	B+
22	University of Louisville KY · Public	58	$104,538	$17,988	$23,000	B+
23	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public	93	$103,143	$14,355	$22,330	B+
24	SUNY Maritime College NY · Public	91	$102,563	$22,367	$24,989	B+
25	Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public	77	$102,439	$14,967	$19,375	A
26	Oakland University MI · Public	71	$102,222	$9,120	$29,750	B
27	Wayne State University MI · Public	61	$101,990	$12,766	$24,340	B+
28	Oregon State University OR · Public	75	$101,653	$19,604	$25,437	B+
29	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public	73	$101,653	$18,048	$25,437	B+
30	Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA · Private	90	$101,554	$43,071	$26,254	B+
31	New Jersey Institute of Technology NJ · Public	92	$101,547	$16,504	$25,000	B
32	University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public	77	$101,380	$20,268	$26,512	B+
33	North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public	87	$100,172	$17,303	$22,309	B+
34	Auburn University AL · Public	76	$99,441	$24,323	$23,250	B+
35	Ohio University-Eastern Campus OH · Public	62	$99,364	$3,925	$27,000	B
36	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus OH · Public	60	$99,364	$5,755	$27,000	B
37	Ohio University-Main Campus OH · Public	48	$99,364	$21,637	$27,000	B
38	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus OH · Public	60	$99,364	$5,746	$27,000	B
39	West Virginia University WV · Public	64	$99,180	$15,634	$25,207	B+
40	University of Miami FL · Private	78	$99,068	$37,244	$15,110	A
41	University of Arkansas AR · Public	69	$98,765	$18,209	$26,500	B+
42	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public	70	$98,654	$30,434	$25,250	B+
43	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private	93	$98,509	$36,228	$22,750	B+
44	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public	83	$98,394	$15,300	$26,125	B
45	Texas Tech University TX · Public	76	$98,266	$19,070	$29,000	B
46	University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA · Public	83	$97,791	$22,383	$27,000	B
47	The University of Texas at Arlington TX · Public	76	$97,788	$13,951	$22,503	B+
48	University of Minnesota-Duluth MN · Public	74	$97,732	$18,743	$24,185	B+
49	Florida State University FL · Public	83	$96,504	$11,297	$20,000	B+
50	Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public	89	$95,918	$21,315	$19,708	B+

School-by-school analysis: Industrial Engineering

Editorial breakdowns of how industrial engineering graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.

Northwestern University

IL · Private · $138,720 4yr earnings · $17,912 median debt

62 graduates with 1-year earnings of $89,811 and 4-year earnings of $138,720. Debt-to-earnings 0.199 (grade: A). Industrial engineering at Northwestern focuses on operations research and systems optimization - skills in high demand from logistics companies, healthcare systems, and manufacturing firms. McCormick School of Engineering's reputation draws recruiters from companies that value quantitative problem-solving over pure software development. This is a smaller program but produces strong per-graduate outcomes.

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

GA · Public · $128,003 4yr earnings · $21,750 median debt

Industrial Engineering at Georgia Tech (346 graduates, $87,826 at year one, $128,003 at year four, ROI grade A, DTE 0.248) is the school's signature non-computing program. Georgia Tech's IE program is widely regarded as the strongest in the country by academic ranking, and the Scorecard data supports that reputation: year-one earnings of $87k from a manufacturing, operations, and supply chain discipline are well above typical IE outcomes nationally. The four-year figure ($128k) reflects advancement into operations management, consulting, and process engineering leadership roles. Median debt of $21,750 is moderate.

Lehigh University

PA · Private · $121,498 4yr earnings · $23,834 median debt

Industrial Engineering (40 graduates) earns $81,142 year-one and $121,498 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.294 (B+ grade). Industrial engineering graduates enter operations management, supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing optimization roles across manufacturing and services industries. The four-year trajectory to $121k is unusually strong for this discipline and reflects Lehigh's connections to the industrial mid-Atlantic economy and strong career services placement.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

MI · Public · $117,930 4yr earnings · $20,306 median debt

Industrial Engineering (138 graduates) earns $86,476 at year one and $117,930 at four years. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.235 (ROI grade A) and $20,306 median debt are efficient. IE graduates from Michigan enter operations, supply chain, manufacturing, and systems engineering roles across automotive, logistics, and technology sectors. The intersection of Michigan's automotive industrial ties and IE's operations focus creates specific regional demand that translates into above-average starting salaries and rapid advancement.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

VA · Public · $116,641 4yr earnings · $22,870 median debt

Industrial Engineering at Virginia Tech produces 240 graduates annually and combines two of the better outcomes metrics on campus: early pay of ,437, rising to ,641 by year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.277 (B+ grade). IE sits at the intersection of operations, logistics, and systems optimization - skills that every large manufacturer, retailer, and logistics firm needs. Supply chain disruptions since 2020 have accelerated hiring in this field. Virginia Tech IE graduates benefit from a strong alumni network and career fair presence that extends from the mid-Atlantic to national employers. The ,870 median debt load is notably lower than many engineering programs.

Exceptional Value

Is Industrial Engineering Worth It?

The Numbers Support This Major

If you're weighing Industrial Engineering, the money case is about as strong as it gets. Graduates average $74,469 four years out, well above the typical major, so the degree tends to pay for itself fast. The harder question here isn't whether it's worth it - it's where you study it.

This is a more specialized field, offered at 97 schools in our data. Fewer options means less room to optimize on cost, so weigh each aid offer closely.

The top earner here is Liberty University, where graduates pull $94,928 four years out. But an average hides a wide spread - where you go, and what you do with the degree, matter as much as the major itself.

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