Which state pays computer engineering bachelor's graduates the most?

Massachusetts, where the median program pays its graduates $87,304 in their first year, the highest of 10 state rankings. Virginia is next, at $86,636.

Which computer engineering bachelor's program pays the most?

University of Washington in Washington reports the highest first-year pay of the 165 programs ranked here, $141,588. Its median federal debt is $16,127.

How much debt do computer engineering bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $24,500 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 31% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Computer Engineering (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

165 programs report first-year pay
10 state rankings
Bachelor's in Computer Engineering

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median computer engineering bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $78,915 in their first year and $107,903 five years after. Massachusetts has the highest state median ($87,304), and Ohio the lowest ($69,708). The median program leaves its graduates with $24,500 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$78,915Across 165 programs

Median pay after 5 years$107,903Across 125 programs

Median federal debt$24,500Across 151 programs

Debt-to-earnings31%Across 147 programs

All 165 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	$141,588	$132,309	$223,690	$16,127	11%
2	UVACharlottesville, VA · public	$118,232	$116,941	$139,318	$16,875	14%
3	Cal Poly SLOSan Luis Obispo, CA · public	$111,560	$100,759	$146,406	$20,556	18%
4	Duke UniversityDurham, NC · private nonprofit	$111,145	Not adjusted	$174,619	$14,500	13%
5	Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA · private nonprofit	$103,804	$93,754	$191,635	$24,666	24%
6	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$103,123	Not adjusted	$136,097	$20,500	20%
7	Columbia UniversityNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$102,083	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
8	DigiPen Institute of TechnologyRedmond, WA · private for-profit	$101,832	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
9	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$99,499	$94,083	$143,143	$25,005	25%
10	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$96,418	$87,083	$146,640	$12,804	13%
11	UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · public	$96,256	$86,936	$154,498	$18,497	19%
12	University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	$95,847	$91,319	Not reported	$20,695	22%
13	Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA · private nonprofit	$94,228	Not adjusted	$115,714	$26,000	28%
14	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$93,995	$88,878	$138,076	$26,866	29%
15	Georgia TechAtlanta, GA · public	$93,629	Not adjusted	$131,153	$25,399	27%
16	University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	$92,501	Not adjusted	$123,120	$20,500	22%
17	Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, IN · private nonprofit	$92,123	Not adjusted	$123,554	$24,834	27%
18	UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · public	$91,387	$82,539	$139,942	$14,410	16%
19	RITRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$90,829	Not adjusted	$122,991	$28,500	31%
20	Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA · private nonprofit	$90,171	Not adjusted	$140,705	Not reported	Not reported
21	PurdueWest Lafayette, IN · public	$89,965	Not adjusted	$118,081	$23,000	26%
22	University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT · public	$89,605	$90,635	Not reported	$19,375	22%
23	Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$89,418	$91,643	$119,954	$28,166	31%
24	UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public	$89,327	$84,464	$123,984	$27,000	30%
25	Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ · private nonprofit	$89,001	$81,799	$136,926	$26,930	30%
26	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$88,904	Not adjusted	$119,682	$21,500	24%
27	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$88,785	$89,805	$146,934	$10,750	12%
28	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$87,949	$85,046	$114,942	$22,562	26%
29	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$87,466	$86,511	$108,739	$26,697	31%
30	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$87,259	$84,422	Not reported	$35,166	40%
31	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$87,135	$81,425	$110,492	$21,750	25%
32	Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · public	$86,938	$80,557	$114,063	$23,945	28%
33	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$86,636	$85,690	$123,589	$26,000	30%
34	UMBCBaltimore, MD · public	$86,444	$82,360	$111,632	$19,988	23%
35	Texas A&MCollege Station, TX · public	$86,366	$88,985	$119,310	$22,816	26%
36	CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	$86,211	$83,658	$107,650	$23,000	27%
37	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$85,672	$86,870	$101,456	$23,000	27%
38	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$85,619	$88,215	$104,343	$27,000	32%
39	Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT · public	$85,564	$86,547	$100,688	$14,563	17%
40	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$85,446	Not adjusted	$110,493	$26,708	31%
41	UMass LowellLowell, MA · public	$85,280	$80,638	Not reported	$27,000	32%
42	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$84,793	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
43	TCNJEwing, NJ · public	$84,241	$77,424	Not reported	$25,725	31%
44	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$83,934	$87,234	$101,837	$24,999	30%
45	University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL · public	$83,909	$94,468	Not reported	$26,825	32%
46	USFTampa, FL · public	$83,660	$80,898	$99,737	$27,250	33%
47	UPR MayaguezMayaguez, PR · public	$83,545	Not adjusted	$95,065	$10,300	12%
48	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$83,489	$89,992	Not reported	$21,875	26%
49	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$83,342	$89,833	$106,752	$20,247	24%
50	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$83,243	$91,660	$96,583	$19,500	23%
51	NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	$82,997	$87,990	$110,896	$24,250	29%
52	VCURichmond, VA · public	$82,964	$82,058	Not reported	$23,813	29%
53	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$82,924	$80,035	$108,654	$20,108	24%
54	Kettering UniversityFlint, MI · private nonprofit	$82,580	$85,827	Not reported	$29,984	36%
55	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$82,398	Not adjusted	$105,749	$20,240	25%
56	Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · private nonprofit	$82,209	Not adjusted	$113,884	$24,625	30%
57	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$82,183	$76,151	$108,105	$19,000	23%
58	UCCSColorado Springs, CO · public	$82,084	$79,653	Not reported	$25,075	31%
59	Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$82,057	$77,590	Not reported	$27,000	33%
60	Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$81,252	Not adjusted	$103,105	$26,500	33%
61	UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public	$81,226	$83,689	$116,258	$20,833	26%
62	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$81,123	$80,577	$113,500	$26,972	33%
63	Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY · private nonprofit	$80,942	Not adjusted	$110,682	$27,000	33%
64	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$80,746	$83,921	Not reported	$26,676	33%
65	NC A&TGreensboro, NC · public	$80,685	Not adjusted	Not reported	$31,000	38%
66	Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA · public	$80,574	Not adjusted	$84,509	$27,000	34%
67	UW-StoutMenomonie, WI · public	$80,493	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,500	30%
68	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$80,438	$82,877	Not reported	$21,582	27%
69	Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · public	$80,067	$90,142	$98,999	$22,125	28%
70	University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · public	$80,029	$78,245	Not reported	$26,613	33%
71	UC Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA · public	$79,969	$72,226	$137,877	$23,392	29%
72	UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	$79,812	$72,085	$115,244	$19,233	24%
73	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$79,809	$72,082	$108,748	$15,759	20%
74	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$79,620	$88,311	Not reported	$21,500	27%
75	UMass DartmouthNorth Dartmouth, MA · public	$79,383	Not adjusted	Not reported	$30,000	38%
76	Embry-Riddle Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, FL · private nonprofit	$79,276	Not adjusted	$94,762	$26,146	33%
77	Florida Institute of TechnologyMelbourne, FL · private nonprofit	$79,244	$76,628	$100,548	$25,125	32%
78	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$79,228	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,500	25%
79	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$79,182	Not adjusted	$111,313	$24,337	31%
80	UM-DearbornDearborn, MI · public	$79,022	$82,129	$99,036	$25,327	32%
81	Missouri S&TRolla, MO · public	$78,964	$86,948	$105,434	$27,000	34%
82	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$78,941	Not adjusted	$102,516	$23,346	30%
83	LSUBaton Rouge, LA · public	$78,915	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
84	UNTDenton, TX · public	$78,714	$81,101	$107,903	$23,235	30%
85	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$78,709	$81,804	$99,893	$26,125	33%
86	Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$78,333	$83,249	$99,744	$27,000	34%
87	City College of New YorkNew York, NY · public	$78,326	$72,577	$111,970	Not reported	Not reported
88	University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA · public	$78,075	$80,018	$103,404	$26,837	34%
89	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$77,938	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,766	33%
90	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$77,882	$80,880	Not reported	$17,528	23%
91	Saint Cloud StateSaint Cloud, MN · public	$77,792	$78,880	Not reported	$27,000	35%
92	Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public	$77,672	$82,851	$98,155	$26,955	35%
93	UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	$77,609	$79,962	$109,387	$21,000	27%
94	Michigan TechHoughton, MI · public	$77,465	$80,511	$105,712	$27,000	35%
95	Manhattan UniversityRiverdale, NY · private nonprofit	$77,463	$71,778	Not reported	$27,000	35%
96	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$77,455	$80,437	$99,785	$27,000	35%
97	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$77,306	Not adjusted	$114,783	$26,500	34%
98	UW-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · public	$76,982	$81,813	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
99	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$76,819	$74,283	$99,037	$23,000	30%
100	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$76,812	$69,375	Not reported	$16,248	21%
101	North Dakota StateFargo, ND · public	$76,558	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,511	28%
102	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$76,314	Not adjusted	$99,140	$24,500	32%
103	BYU-IdahoRexburg, ID · private nonprofit	$76,193	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
104	UW-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · public	$76,187	$80,968	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
105	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$75,692	$68,363	Not reported	$19,548	26%
106	Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN · private nonprofit	$75,484	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	36%
107	University of MaineOrono, ME · public	$75,282	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
108	FIUMiami, FL · public	$75,210	$72,727	$103,462	$18,948	25%
109	Fresno StateFresno, CA · public	$75,101	$67,830	$131,127	$30,486	41%
110	California Baptist UniversityRiverside, CA · private nonprofit	$75,087	$67,817	$83,205	$27,000	36%
111	University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · public	$74,753	$69,266	$103,601	$22,500	30%
112	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$74,085	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	35%
113	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$73,982	$78,915	$87,710	$27,000	36%
114	Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY · public	$73,820	$68,402	$128,966	$22,990	31%
115	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$73,750	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,679	36%
116	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$73,639	$75,872	Not reported	$26,947	37%
117	Oklahoma StateStillwater, OK · public	$72,820	$82,898	Not reported	$23,000	32%
118	University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY · public	$72,710	$80,646	$104,361	$21,306	29%
119	South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, SD · public	$72,639	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
120	Mississippi StateMississippi State, MS · public	$72,529	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,500	27%
121	FAUBoca Raton, FL · public	$72,029	$69,651	$96,084	$26,750	37%
122	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$71,986	$77,131	$97,039	$27,000	38%
123	Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL · public	$71,841	$71,871	Not reported	$23,125	32%
124	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$71,836	$77,431	$107,488	$27,000	38%
125	UW-PlattevillePlatteville, WI · public	$71,635	$76,131	$98,479	$24,500	34%
126	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$71,436	$66,193	Not reported	$26,174	37%
127	UICChicago, IL · public	$71,148	$71,178	$80,522	$22,000	31%
128	UNC CharlotteCharlotte, NC · public	$71,117	$75,395	$103,237	$21,875	31%
129	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$70,904	$80,717	Not reported	$22,767	32%
130	Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	$70,768	$63,916	$102,133	$20,250	29%
131	Wright StateDayton, OH · public	$70,345	$75,824	$87,791	$25,000	36%
132	Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA · public	$70,298	Not adjusted	$109,053	$23,360	33%
133	Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$69,664	Not adjusted	$98,099	$24,767	36%
134	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$69,310	$69,325	$107,148	$21,375	31%
135	Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN · public	$69,291	Not adjusted	$105,082	Not reported	Not reported
136	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$69,070	$74,450	$96,653	$23,320	34%
137	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$68,852	$74,215	$78,588	$25,547	37%
138	University of ToledoToledo, OH · public	$68,597	$73,940	$89,878	$26,424	39%
139	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$68,020	$68,049	Not reported	$25,000	37%
140	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$67,949	$73,241	$84,600	$27,000	40%
141	NJITNewark, NJ · public	$67,640	$62,166	$106,873	$22,375	33%
142	Trine UniversityAngola, IN · private nonprofit	$67,500	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
143	Montana StateBozeman, MT · public	$67,015	Not adjusted	Not reported	$30,500	46%
144	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$66,266	$59,850	$107,734	$17,500	26%
145	Wichita StateWichita, KS · public	$66,207	$73,508	$89,791	$27,500	42%
146	University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · public	$65,436	$65,450	$70,200	Not reported	Not reported
147	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$65,222	Not adjusted	$94,793	$25,000	38%
148	Florida Polytechnic UniversityLakeland, FL · public	$65,126	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
149	UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	$65,049	$58,751	$117,682	$25,083	39%
150	UH ManoaHonolulu, HI · public	$65,003	$59,120	$117,147	$20,541	32%
151	UH-Clear LakeHouston, TX · public	$63,751	$65,684	$90,291	$22,238	35%
152	Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$62,056	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	44%
153	Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL · private for-profit	$61,553	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,500	33%
154	Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL · public	$60,746	$58,741	$112,607	$25,000	41%
155	University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · public	$59,626	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	44%
156	UC MercedMerced, CA · public	$58,835	$53,139	$102,036	$19,086	32%
157	UTRGVEdinburg, TX · public	$57,841	$59,595	$87,467	$16,055	28%
158	University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	$56,557	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
159	Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	$55,093	$49,759	$113,278	$18,500	34%
160	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$53,180	$48,031	$111,112	$20,148	38%
161	Jackson StateJackson, MS · public	$51,570	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	52%
162	Cal State San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA · public	$49,043	$44,295	$97,972	$18,096	37%
163	Keiser UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · private nonprofit	$45,453	$43,952	$85,320	$48,442	107%
164	Universidad Politecnica de Puerto RicoHato Rey, PR · private nonprofit	$38,213	Not adjusted	$60,492	Not reported	Not reported
165	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo CampusGurabo, PR · private nonprofit	$28,052	Not adjusted	$55,057	Not reported	Not reported

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 112 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 53, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

18 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

Computer Engineering (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's computer engineering bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Massachusetts	6	$87,304	$27,000
2	Virginia	5	$86,636	$23,813
3	Pennsylvania	7	$85,446	$26,773
4	New York	11	$80,942	$25,060
5	Michigan	7	$80,746	$26,125
6	Texas	9	$78,714	$22,238
7	Florida	12	$76,015	$25,000
8	California	19	$75,692	$19,086
9	Illinois	5	$71,841	$23,813
10	Ohio	8	$69,708	$25,547

Programs in 37 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

UC Davis, CA$12,804
UC Santa Barbara, CA$14,410
Cal State Long Beach, CA$15,759
UTRGV, TX$16,055
San Diego State, CA$16,248
UVA, VA$16,875
Sacramento State, CA$17,500
Cal State San Bernardino, CA$18,096
UC San Diego, CA$18,497
Cal State Fullerton, CA$18,500

Lowest debt for the pay

UC Davis, CA13%
UVA, VA14%
UC Santa Barbara, CA16%
Cal Poly SLO, CA18%
UC San Diego, CA19%
Cal State Long Beach, CA20%
UIUC, IL20%
San Diego State, CA21%
University of Michigan, MI22%
NYU, NY23%

Only the 84 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to computer engineering, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Software Developers

$135,980

Median pay in the US. 1,687,890 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 95,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $82,460Top 10%: $214,670

Architectural and Engineering Managers

$171,270

Median pay in the US. 220,260 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $120,810Top 10%: $262,760

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

$104,300

Median pay in the US. 186,740 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $61,440Top 10%: $167,010

Computer Network Architects

$134,050

Median pay in the US. 179,740 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,600 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $79,900Top 10%: $202,680

Common questions

The median computer engineering bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $78,915 in their first year and $107,903 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024