Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 295 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering pays
Career outlook for Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering graduates
The job market for the occupations Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 212,500 | +3.8% | $167,740 | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrical engineers | 192,000 | +7.2% | $111,910 | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineers, all other | 158,800 | +2.1% | $117,750 | Bachelor's degree |
| Electronics engineers, except computer | 95,900 | +6.2% | $127,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer hardware engineers | 76,800 | +7.3% | $155,020 | Bachelor's degree |
| Aerospace engineers | 71,600 | +6.1% | $134,830 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering vs similar majors
How Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering stacks up against the closest fields in Engineering on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Engineering · this major | Operations Research | Systems Engineering | Computer Engineering | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 91 A | 94 A | 88 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $107,845 | $168,920 | $135,617 | $112,722 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $82,261 | $91,796 | $111,379 | $81,735 |
| ROI vs cost | +682% | +1,484% | +996% | +745% |
| Typical debt | $22,963 | $17,166 | $29,370 | $22,332 |
| Colleges offering it | 295 | 6 | 26 | 168 |
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Master's | $314,606 | — | +9,663% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $91,761 | — | +6,092% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $240,462 | $13,674 | +6,019% | Strong return |
| 4 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Associate's | $187,527 | — | +5,061% | Strong return |
| 5 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI | Certificate | $101,711 | — | +3,899% | Strong return |
| 6 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $96,348 | $14,500 | +3,785% | Strong return |
| 7 | Rice University Houston, TX | Associate's | $139,102 | — | +3,419% | Strong return |
| 8 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Certificate | $132,333 | $24,750 | +3,409% | Strong return |
| 9 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Certificate | $230,373 | — | +3,257% | Strong return |
| 10 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH | Associate's | $98,731 | $23,125 | +3,201% | Strong return |
| 11 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $190,731 | $10,967 | +3,196% | Strong return |
| 12 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Certificate | $127,516 | — | +2,838% | Strong return |
| 13 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Associate's | $103,360 | $16,382 | +2,816% | Strong return |
| 14 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $104,143 | $20,650 | +2,770% | Strong return |
| 15 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Master's | $156,904 | — | +2,682% | Strong return |
| 16 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH | Associate's | $98,731 | $23,125 | +2,624% | Strong return |
| 17 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | Associate's | $119,589 | — | +2,610% | Strong return |
| 18 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH | Associate's | $98,731 | $23,125 | +2,598% | Strong return |
| 19 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH | Associate's | $98,731 | $23,125 | +2,595% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $127,528 | $16,979 | +2,538% | Strong return |
| 21 | Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH | Associate's | $98,731 | $23,125 | +2,532% | Strong return |
| 22 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX | Associate's | $87,466 | $17,892 | +2,524% | Strong return |
| 23 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | Associate's | $106,377 | $25,875 | +2,520% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI | Certificate | $142,830 | — | +2,477% | Strong return |
| 25 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Certificate | $250,263 | — | +2,452% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.