Best Engineering-Related Fields Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
25
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$391,541
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$39,211
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Stanford University
Grad rate: 94.0% |
CA | +$1,663,952 | $141,630 | $82,162 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
University of the Pacific
Grad rate: 70.5% |
CA | +$669,588 | $89,114 | $68,173 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Grad rate: 27.4% |
AZ | +$646,830 | $76,434 | N/A | $31,000 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Stevens Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 88.9% |
NJ | +$579,867 | $88,104 | $76,449 | $26,975 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | +$534,642 | $76,434 | $28,047 | $31,000 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Michigan State University
Grad rate: 81.9% |
MI | +$501,737 | $74,796 | $30,528 | $23,756 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Grad rate: 42.8% |
SC | +$472,980 | $70,562 | $24,565 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Grad rate: 62.6% |
MO | +$470,448 | $72,543 | $25,653 | $28,000 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Clemson University
Grad rate: 86.6% |
SC | +$462,674 | $73,720 | $34,494 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate: 86.3% |
VA | +$428,597 | $71,441 | $32,040 | $23,750 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Grad rate: 52.2% |
WI | +$426,998 | $69,496 | $21,618 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
California State University-Chico
Grad rate: 63.9% |
CA | +$408,828 | $68,680 | $25,590 | $16,601 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Western Michigan University
Grad rate: 56.5% |
MI | +$394,690 | $69,288 | $28,655 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus
Grad rate: 31.4% |
PR | +$298,807 | $61,309 | $14,081 | $22,999 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
Grad rate: 30.3% |
WV | +$298,148 | $59,036 | $10,643 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Middle Tennessee State University
Grad rate: 54.3% |
TN | +$279,336 | $61,839 | $22,754 | $19,576 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Iowa State University
Grad rate: 75.0% |
IA | +$276,775 | $62,204 | $23,309 | $25,236 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Rochester Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 71.5% |
NY | +$237,621 | $70,097 | $71,714 | $27,750 | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Clarkson University
Grad rate: 73.0% |
NY | +$236,846 | $70,955 | $76,451 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Illinois Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 73.8% |
IL | +$234,120 | $67,250 | $67,720 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Grad rate: 52.7% |
TN | +$191,643 | $58,016 | $23,563 | $25,500 | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Arkansas State University
Grad rate: 53.9% |
AR | +$87,828 | $50,956 | $22,823 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Morehead State University
Grad rate: 47.5% |
KY | +$80,445 | $52,098 | $22,758 | $22,580 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Eastern Michigan University
Grad rate: 45.5% |
MI | +$8,993 | $50,184 | $28,168 | $31,122 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
New York University
Grad rate: 87.8% |
NY | -$103,859 | $54,015 | $79,121 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Engineering-Related Fields Degrees by State
Browse Engineering-Related Fields programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.