U.S. median for this major: $98,697.
College Scorecard field of study; 113 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 9% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,654. College Scorecard.
Carnegie Mellon University Electrical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Electrical Engineering nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Carnegie Mellon University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,097 | $37,844 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $6,994 | $29,095 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $14,468 | $60,187 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $24,865 | $103,438 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $51,480 | $214,157 | 1.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (79% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Electrical Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($250,168) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $214,371 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Electrical Engineering at Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Electrical Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | $250,168 | $22,250 | $31,944 | 94% |
| 2 | Villanova University | $117,229 | $27,000 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 3 | Lehigh University | $108,503 | $22,754 | $36,931 | 88% |
| 4 | York College of Pennsylvania | $103,354 | — | $18,556 | 64% |
| 5 | Drexel University | $102,978 | $29,986 | $38,509 | 78% |
| 6 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $102,572 | $27,000 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 7 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $102,572 | $27,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 8 | Temple University | $97,839 | $27,000 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 9 | Widener University | $95,901 | $26,500 | $25,759 | 68% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $93,277 | $27,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre | $93,277 | $27,000 | $16,448 | 23% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $93,277 | $27,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University | $93,277 | $27,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
13 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Electrical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Electrical Engineering graduates
Electrical engineer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Computer Hardware Engineers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Carnegie Mellon University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance rate: 12% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 94% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $114,862
- Full cost breakdown · all 91 majors · overview
Related majors at Carnegie Mellon University
- Mechanical Engineering$105,623
- Civil Engineering$105,199
- Engineering$110,208
Carnegie Mellon University Electrical Engineering questions
How much do Carnegie Mellon University Electrical Engineering graduates earn?
Electrical Engineering graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median $250,168 four years after graduating and $139,337 one year after. The U.S. median for Electrical Engineering graduates across 257 colleges is $98,697.
How much debt do Carnegie Mellon University Electrical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Electrical Engineering graduates of Carnegie Mellon University is $22,250, about 9% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Carnegie Mellon University a good school for Electrical Engineering in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Electrical Engineering graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn $250,168 four years out, $147,596 above the median for the same major across 13 Pennsylvania colleges ($102,572) and $151,471 above the U.S. median ($98,697). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Carnegie Mellon University rank for Electrical Engineering in Pennsylvania?
Of 13 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Electrical Engineering graduate earnings, Carnegie Mellon University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Electrical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is electrical engineer, with a median wage of $104,990 in the Pittsburgh, PA area and $120,630 nationally. Others include architectural and engineering managers and computer hardware engineers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Carnegie Mellon University Electrical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/electrical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).