Oakland University Industrial Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Industrial Engineering graduates of Oakland University earn a median $102,222 four years after graduating ($77,169 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $29,750. That is $4,194 above the U.S. median for Industrial Engineering graduates ($98,028 across 94 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 5 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$102,222

U.S. median for this major: $98,028.

College Scorecard field of study; 21 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$77,169

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$29,750

About 29% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$9,120 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $25,182. College Scorecard.

OU Industrial Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

OU graduates$102,222
Michigan median (5 colleges)$101,990 (+$232)
U.S. median (94 colleges)$98,028 (+$4,194)

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.

Industrial Engineering nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses OU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$4,422$19,987under 1 year
$30–48k$4,560$20,611under 1 year
$48–75k$6,711$30,334under 1 year
$75–110k$11,874$53,670under 1 year
$110k+$19,217$86,8611.3 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (34% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Industrial Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($102,222) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $68,811 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.

Industrial Engineering at Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Industrial Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$117,930$20,306$13,13893%
2Oakland University$102,222$29,750$9,12058%
3Wayne State University$101,990$24,340$12,76658%
4Western Michigan University$92,306—$15,27358%
5Kettering University$86,265—$34,66071%

3 more Michigan colleges offer Industrial Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Industrial Engineering graduates

Industrial engineer

Detroit area$104,110
Michigan$101,680
U.S.$102,440

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +12.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Industrial Production Managers

Detroit area$126,200
Michigan$120,660
U.S.$126,060

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +2.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Detroit area$168,550
Michigan$166,930
U.S.$171,270

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% 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 OU, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About OU

Related majors at OU

OU Industrial Engineering questions

How much do OU Industrial Engineering graduates earn?

Industrial Engineering graduates of Oakland University earn a median $102,222 four years after graduating and $77,169 one year after. The U.S. median for Industrial Engineering graduates across 94 colleges is $98,028.

How much debt do OU Industrial Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Industrial Engineering graduates of Oakland University is $29,750, about 29% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Is OU a good school for Industrial Engineering in Michigan?

On pay, Industrial Engineering graduates of Oakland University earn $102,222 four years out, $232 above the median for the same major across 5 Michigan colleges ($101,990) and $4,194 above the U.S. median ($98,028). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does OU rank for Industrial Engineering in Michigan?

Of 5 Michigan colleges reporting Industrial Engineering graduate earnings, Oakland University ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $117,930.

What jobs do Industrial Engineering graduates get?

A common career is industrial engineer, with a median wage of $104,110 in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area and $102,440 nationally. Others include industrial production managers and architectural and engineering managers.

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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
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Cite this: “Oakland University Industrial Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/oakland-university/majors/industrial-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).