How much debt do UM-Dearborn computer engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,327, which ranks 3rd lowest of 7 computer engineering bachelor's programs in Michigan. That works out to about $269 a month over 10 years.

Is a computer engineering degree from UM-Dearborn worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 32% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 31%. Compare the cost with other Michigan programs before deciding.

UM-Dearborn Computer Engineering (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UM-Dearborn computer engineering graduates stay in Michigan?

Most do. 84% (21 of 25) were working in Michigan one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Computer Engineering
Public university
Dearborn, MI
About 38 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UM-Dearborn computer engineering graduates earn about what computer engineering graduates earn nationally, $79,022 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,327 in federal loans, close to the national median of $24,500. Several Michigan programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$79,02252nd percentile of 165 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$99,03625% more than year one

Median federal debt$25,3273rd lowest of 7 Michigan programs

Debt-to-earnings32%Michigan median 33%, national 31%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Michigan and national columns are the medians across all computer engineering bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UM-Dearborn	Michigan	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$79,022	$80,746	$78,915
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$99,036	$101,837	$107,903
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,327	$26,125	$24,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	32%	33%	31%
Programs compared		7	165

Five years out, UM-Dearborn graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the Michigan median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Michigan computer engineering program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Michigan medians.

UM-DearbornOther Michigan programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 25% between the first and fifth year.

UM-Dearborn grads, year 1$79,022

UM-Dearborn grads, year 5$99,036

All Michigan computer engineering grads, year 5$101,837

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $269 a month, or 4.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (21 of 25) were working in Michigan one year after graduating. Prices in the Detroit area are about the same as the national average.

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 all experience levels.

Software Developers

$125,570

Median pay in Michigan. 43,460 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $78,930Top 10%: $166,510

Architectural and Engineering Managers

$166,930

Median pay in Michigan. 14,820 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $117,490Top 10%: $218,050

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

$98,720

Median pay in Michigan. 3,480 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $52,460Top 10%: $135,830

Computer Network Architects

$112,040

Median pay in Michigan. 3,210 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $71,400Top 10%: $167,960

About UM-Dearborn

In-state tuition and fees	$15,640 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$32,896 / year
Average net price after aid	$9,492 / year
Admission rate	56%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	58%
Undergraduate students	5,952

Computer Engineering ranks 2nd of 23 bachelor's programs at UM-Dearborn by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Programming ($80,830), Computer Engineering ($79,022), and Electrical Engineering ($78,942).

Other computer engineering bachelor's programs near Dearborn

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UM-DearbornDearborn, MI · public		$79,022	$25,327
Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	25 mi	$78,709	$26,125
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	26 mi	$92,501	$20,500
University of ToledoToledo, OH · public	49 mi	$68,597	$26,424
Kettering UniversityFlint, MI · private nonprofit	54 mi	$82,580	$29,984

Common questions

The median graduate earns $79,022 one year after graduating and $99,036 five years after. The median across computer engineering bachelor's programs in Michigan is $80,746.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Michigan comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the computer engineering program.

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
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Computer Engineering bachelor's programs in Michigan, ranked7 programs by pay and debt Computer Engineering bachelor's programs in the US, ranked165 programs by pay and debt All UM-Dearborn programs, ranked23 programs by pay and debt