Purdue University Industrial Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Industrial Engineering graduates of Purdue University earn a median $107,031 four years after graduating ($81,379 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $19,427. That is $9,003 above the U.S. median for Industrial Engineering graduates ($98,028 across 94 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
$107,031

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

College Scorecard field of study; 129 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$81,379

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$19,427

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 Industrial Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

PU graduates$107,031
Indiana median (3 colleges)$90,363 (+$16,668)
U.S. median (94 colleges)$98,028 (+$9,003)

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 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 Industrial Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($107,031) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $71,497 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 Indiana colleges

Every Indiana 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
1Purdue University$107,031$19,427$14,60083%
2Indiana Institute of Technology$90,363$32,750$23,20648%

1 more Indiana college offers Industrial Engineering but has too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Industrial Engineering graduates

Industrial engineer

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 Industrial Engineering questions

How much do PU Industrial Engineering graduates earn?

Industrial Engineering graduates of Purdue University earn a median $107,031 four years after graduating and $81,379 one year after. The U.S. median for Industrial Engineering graduates across 94 colleges is $98,028.

How much debt do PU Industrial Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Industrial Engineering graduates of Purdue University is $19,427, about 18% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Is PU a good school for Industrial Engineering in Indiana?

On pay, Industrial Engineering graduates of Purdue University earn $107,031 four years out, $16,668 above the median for the same major across 3 Indiana colleges ($90,363) and $9,003 above the U.S. median ($98,028). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does PU rank for Industrial Engineering in Indiana?

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

What jobs do Industrial Engineering graduates get?

A common career is industrial engineer, 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 Industrial Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/industrial-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).