Engineering, General: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Engineering, General graduates earn a median $89,359 four years after finishing — $40,999/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 1.6 years. Federal data pools 237 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 2,538 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Engineering, General ranks #25 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 88% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | NY | $128,207 |
| 2 | University of California-Davis | CA | $114,228 |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $110,208 |
| 4 | Brown University | RI | $108,550 |
| 5 | McNeese State University | LA | $107,319 |
| 6 | Seattle Pacific University | WA | $106,291 |
| 7 | Lafayette College | PA | $104,222 |
| 8 | Michigan State University | MI | $102,301 |
| 9 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | $101,078 |
| 10 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $99,838 |
| 11 | Frostburg State University | MD | $99,671 |
| 12 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | MA | $96,695 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does Engineering, General pay grow after graduation?
From $68,331 one year out to $89,359 four years out — a $21,028 climb, or 31% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in Engineering, General each year?
About 2,538 bachelor's graduates a year across 237 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.