College ROI

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Systems Engineering.

Bachelor's Degree20 Institutions

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.

Annual Full Cost vs. Median Earnings

Each dot represents one program at an institution. Shows the spread of annual sticker price (or net price if sticker price is unavailable) vs earnings 4 years post-grad.

Field Median ($106,805)
P25-P75 Interval ($89,696 - $120,976)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution
State
Earnings
Avg Net PriceMedian Debt
Lifetime Value Added
Charlottesville
VA
$144,830
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$21,565
/yr
$19,500
+$620k
Gainesville
FL
$122,299
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$6,541
/yr
$19,750
+$504k
Buzzards Bay
MA
$125,191
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$21,582
/yr
$27,000
+$472k
St. Louis
MO
$119,297
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$21,786
/yr
$23,139
+$427k
Fairfax
VA
$114,815
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$17,915
/yr
$20,500
+$407k
Washington
DC
$120,976
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$36,586
/yr
-
+$386k
Champaign
IL
$106,805
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$14,355
/yr
$17,800
+$359k
Tucson
AZ
$100,468
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$16,674
/yr
$18,500
+$302k
Philadelphia
PA
$101,964
Nat: $105,185
2yr Post-Grad
$28,699
/yr
-
+$302k
Kennesaw
GA
$89,696
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$15,048
/yr
$21,571
+$226k
Charlotte
NC
$84,648
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$15,435
/yr
$26,000
+$186k
Laredo
TX
$60,126
Nat: $105,185
4yr Post-Grad
$3,637
/yr
$8,800
+$39k
Castine
ME
$63,749
Nat: $105,185
2yr Post-Grad
$23,414
/yr
-
+$17k
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Little Rock
AR
-
Nat: $105,185
$17,248
/yr
-
-$0
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Colorado Springs
CO
-
Nat: $105,185
$15,788
/yr
-
-$0
Metropolitan State University of Denver
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Denver
CO
-
Nat: $105,185
$15,327
/yr
-
-$0
Big Rapids
MI
-
Nat: $105,185
$8,624
/yr
-
-$0
Cleveland
OH
-
Nat: $105,185
$41,190
/yr
-
-$0
Westerville
OH
-
Nat: $105,185
$19,237
/yr
$25,469
-$0
Laramie
WY
-
Nat: $105,185
$13,599
/yr
-
-$0
Analysis Notes:
  • Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes.
  • Avg Net Price: The average price paid by students who receive federal financial aid (grants/loans).
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.