Purdue University Electrical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Electrical Engineering graduates of Purdue University earn a median $105,396 four years after graduating ($84,300 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $19,000. That is $6,699 above the U.S. median for Electrical Engineering graduates ($98,697 across 257 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 7 Indiana colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$105,396

U.S. median for this major: $98,697.

College Scorecard field of study; 98 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$84,300

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$19,000

About 18% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,600 /yr

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

Sticker price $24,591. College Scorecard.

PU Electrical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

PU graduates$105,396
Indiana median (7 colleges)$96,448 (+$8,948)
U.S. median (257 colleges)$98,697 (+$6,699)

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 PU'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$5,098$21,717under 1 year
$30–48k$6,241$26,587under 1 year
$48–75k$9,438$40,206under 1 year
$75–110k$18,177$77,4341.1 years
$110k+$22,742$96,8811.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (64% 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 ($105,396) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $69,862 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 Indiana colleges

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

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Notre Dame$112,828$19,000$26,78095%
2Purdue University$105,396$19,000$14,60083%
3Indiana University-Indianapolis$97,841$25,603$11,66854%
4Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology$96,448$26,161$42,51378%
5Purdue University Northwest$96,206$26,471$6,07943%
6Trine University$92,945$27,000$25,35564%
7Valparaiso University$87,944$27,000$18,57870%

6 more Indiana colleges offer Electrical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Electrical Engineering graduates

Electrical engineer

Lafayette area$95,150
Indiana$102,670
U.S.$120,630

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Lafayette area$177,640
Indiana$155,810
U.S.$171,270

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Computer Hardware Engineers

Indiana$98,350
U.S.$161,740

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 PU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About PU

Related majors at PU

PU Electrical Engineering questions

How much do PU Electrical Engineering graduates earn?

Electrical Engineering graduates of Purdue University earn a median $105,396 four years after graduating and $84,300 one year after. The U.S. median for Electrical Engineering graduates across 257 colleges is $98,697.

How much debt do PU Electrical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Electrical Engineering graduates of Purdue University is $19,000, about 18% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Is PU a good school for Electrical Engineering in Indiana?

On pay, Electrical Engineering graduates of Purdue University earn $105,396 four years out, $8,948 above the median for the same major across 7 Indiana colleges ($96,448) and $6,699 above the U.S. median ($98,697). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does PU rank for Electrical Engineering in Indiana?

Of 7 Indiana colleges reporting Electrical Engineering graduate earnings, Purdue University ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Notre Dame at $112,828.

What jobs do Electrical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is electrical engineer, with a median wage of $95,150 in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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
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Cite this: “Purdue University Electrical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/electrical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).