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Systems Engineering.
Master's Degree•66 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 ($143,717)
P25-P75 Interval ($125,093 - $152,854)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution | State | Earnings | Avg Net Price | Median Debt | Lifetime Value Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cambridge | MA | $227,052 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $20,111 /yr | $44,052 | +$1292k |
Los Angeles | CA | $178,619 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $32,740 /yr | - | +$861k |
Atlanta | GA | $168,407 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $12,116 /yr | - | +$811k |
Dallas | TX | $163,769 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $40,892 /yr | - | +$718k |
Baltimore | MD | $154,775 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $18,809 /yr | $20,500 | +$681k |
Ann Arbor | MI | $152,353 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $13,138 /yr | - | +$670k |
Charlottesville | VA | $152,854 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $21,565 /yr | $37,900 | +$659k |
Washington | DC | $154,767 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $36,586 /yr | $37,964 | +$648k |
Malvern | PA | $145,507 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | - /yr | $32,822 | +$635k |
Rolla | MO | $145,788 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $16,298 /yr | - | +$608k |
Florida Institute of Technology ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Melbourne | FL | $149,291 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $35,639 /yr | - | +$602k |
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. University Park | PA | $145,507 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $19,550 /yr | $32,822 | +$599k |
Richardson | TX | $144,307 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $18,267 /yr | - | +$591k |
University Park | PA | $145,507 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $32,875 /yr | $32,822 | +$575k |
University of Maryland Global Campus ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Adelphi | MD | $141,618 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $22,063 /yr | $29,778 | +$561k |
Ithaca | NY | $142,846 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $28,690 /yr | - | +$560k |
Gainesville | FL | $137,191 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $6,541 /yr | - | +$551k |
Worcester | MA | $143,717 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $43,071 /yr | - | +$541k |
Fairfax | VA | $135,210 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $17,915 /yr | - | +$513k |
Hoboken | NJ | $137,935 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $41,346 /yr | - | +$494k |
Tucson | AZ | $129,471 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $16,674 /yr | - | +$466k |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Daytona Beach | FL | $125,093 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $18,725 /yr | $34,021 | +$424k |
Boston | MA | $117,700 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | - /yr | - | +$395k |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Daytona Beach | FL | $125,093 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $41,272 /yr | $34,021 | +$383k |
El Paso | TX | $113,173 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $9,403 /yr | - | +$338k |
Boston | MA | $117,700 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $30,915 /yr | - | +$338k |
Kennesaw | GA | $108,404 Nat: $144,565 4yr Post-Grad | $15,048 /yr | - | +$286k |
Philadelphia | PA | $95,739 Nat: $144,565 2yr Post-Grad | $28,699 /yr | - | +$184k |
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Colorado Springs | CO | $89,530 Nat: $144,565 2yr Post-Grad | $16,745 /yr | - | +$149k |
Dearborn | MI | $83,177 Nat: $144,565 2yr Post-Grad | $9,492 /yr | - | +$105k |
Pomona | CA | - Nat: $144,565 | $11,531 /yr | - | -$0 |
Los Angeles | CA | - Nat: $144,565 | $48,381 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Francisco | CA | - Nat: $144,565 | $12,278 /yr | - | -$0 |
Golden | CO | - Nat: $144,565 | $28,690 /yr | - | -$0 |
Fort Collins | CO | - Nat: $144,565 | $21,279 /yr | - | -$0 |
Miami | FL | - Nat: $144,565 | $9,288 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pocatello | ID | - Nat: $144,565 | $12,193 /yr | - | -$0 |
Champaign | IL | - Nat: $144,565 | $14,355 /yr | - | -$0 |
Terre Haute | IN | - Nat: $144,565 | $42,513 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ames | IA | - Nat: $144,565 | $18,589 /yr | - | -$0 |
Wichita | KS | - Nat: $144,565 | $13,194 /yr | - | -$0 |
Baltimore | MD | - Nat: $144,565 | $16,467 /yr | - | -$0 |
College Park | MD | - Nat: $144,565 | $15,678 /yr | - | -$0 |
Boston | MA | - Nat: $144,565 | $24,402 /yr | - | -$0 |
Southfield | MI | - Nat: $144,565 | $32,918 /yr | - | -$0 |
Rochester Hills | MI | - Nat: $144,565 | $9,120 /yr | - | -$0 |
Saint Cloud | MN | - Nat: $144,565 | $13,529 /yr | - | -$0 |
Saint Paul | MN | - Nat: $144,565 | $29,155 /yr | - | -$0 |
St. Louis | MO | - Nat: $144,565 | $21,786 /yr | - | -$0 |
Newark | NJ | - Nat: $144,565 | $16,504 /yr | - | -$0 |
New Brunswick | NJ | - Nat: $144,565 | $24,406 /yr | - | -$0 |
Las Cruces | NM | - Nat: $144,565 | $8,889 /yr | - | -$0 |
New York | NY | - Nat: $144,565 | $37,050 /yr | - | -$0 |
Troy | NY | - Nat: $144,565 | $36,228 /yr | - | -$0 |
Vestal | NY | - Nat: $144,565 | $21,620 /yr | - | -$0 |
Syracuse | NY | - Nat: $144,565 | $38,793 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cleveland | OH | - Nat: $144,565 | $41,190 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $144,565 | $38,509 /yr | - | -$0 |
University of Houston-Clear Lake ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Houston | TX | - Nat: $144,565 | $15,563 /yr | - | -$0 |
Houston | TX | - Nat: $144,565 | $14,276 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Antonio | TX | - Nat: $144,565 | $21,145 /yr | - | -$0 |
The University of Texas at Arlington ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Arlington | TX | - Nat: $144,565 | $13,951 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lubbock | TX | - Nat: $144,565 | $19,070 /yr | - | -$0 |
Blacksburg | VA | - Nat: $144,565 | $24,953 /yr | - | -$0 |
Morgantown | WV | - Nat: $144,565 | $15,634 /yr | - | -$0 |
Madison | WI | - Nat: $144,565 | $17,354 /yr | - | -$0 |
Analysis Notes:
- Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median bachelor's degree holder, 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).Note: For graduate programs, the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition and net price.
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.