Purdue University Engineering-Related Fields: earnings, debt & careers

Engineering-Related Fields graduates of Purdue University earn a median $87,914 four years after graduating ($72,252 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $16,625. That is $3,121 below the U.S. median for Engineering-Related Fields graduates ($91,035 across 33 colleges), and ranks 1st of 2 Indiana colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$87,914

U.S. median for this major: $91,035.

College Scorecard field of study; 18 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$72,252

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$16,625

About 19% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,500.

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 Engineering-Related Fields: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

PU graduates$87,914

Fewer than 3 Indiana colleges report earnings for this major, so there is no state median.

U.S. median (33 colleges)$91,035 (−$3,121)

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.

Engineering-Related Fields 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$77,4341.5 years
$110k+$22,742$96,8811.8 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 Engineering-Related Fields graduates 4 years after graduating ($87,914) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $52,380 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.

Engineering-Related Fields at Indiana colleges

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

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Purdue University$87,914$16,625$14,60083%
2Purdue University Northwest$82,075—$6,07943%

4 more Indiana colleges offer Engineering-Related Fields but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Engineering-Related Fields graduates

Industrial Engineers

Lafayette area$98,640
Indiana$97,480
U.S.$102,440

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

Industrial Production Managers

Lafayette area$124,050
Indiana$121,500
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

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.

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 Engineering-Related Fields questions

How much do PU Engineering-Related Fields graduates earn?

Engineering-Related Fields graduates of Purdue University earn a median $87,914 four years after graduating and $72,252 one year after. The U.S. median for Engineering-Related Fields graduates across 33 colleges is $91,035.

How much debt do PU Engineering-Related Fields graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Engineering-Related Fields graduates of Purdue University is $16,625, about 19% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,500.

Where does PU rank for Engineering-Related Fields in Indiana?

Of 2 Indiana colleges reporting Engineering-Related Fields graduate earnings, Purdue University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Engineering-Related Fields graduates get?

A common career is industrial engineers, with a median wage of $98,640 in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN area and $102,440 nationally. Others include industrial production managers and architectural and engineering managers.

Is PU the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing PU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “Purdue University Engineering-Related Fields: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/engineering-related-fields (College Scorecard and BLS data).