Industrial Engineering
Offered at 305 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 9 | — | — | — |
| Associate | 4 | — | — | — |
| Bachelor's | 129 | $77,946 | $102,795 | $22,190 |
| Master's | 92 | $104,233 | $128,986 | — |
| Doctoral | 53 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 18 | — | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky | KY | $81,463 | $96,053 | $24,977 |
| 2 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | SD | $77,073 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | IL | $95,993 | $151,709 | $13,992 |
| 2 | University of Southern California | CA | $86,653 | $147,667 | $22,875 |
| 3 | SUNY Maritime College | NY | — | $133,231 | — |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $87,932 | $132,040 | $20,627 |
| 5 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | — | $131,228 | $21,485 |
| 6 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $87,802 | $128,259 | — |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $83,954 | $124,488 | $19,750 |
| 8 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $89,961 | $122,185 | $18,999 |
| 9 | Northeastern University | MA | $82,701 | $120,854 | $23,750 |
| 10 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | MA | $87,375 | $119,829 | $23,249 |
| 11 | San Jose State University | CA | — | $119,007 | — |
| 12 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $86,353 | $118,407 | $17,500 |
| 13 | Rochester Institute of Technology | NY | $83,394 | $117,506 | $27,395 |
| 14 | Lehigh University | PA | $84,946 | $116,549 | $19,000 |
| 15 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | $82,123 | $115,818 | $27,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | — | $170,700 | — |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $111,042 | $155,229 | — |
| 3 | Iowa State University | IA | $111,454 | $154,561 | — |
| 4 | Clemson University | SC | $129,363 | $143,860 | — |
| 5 | Lehigh University | PA | $83,939 | $140,009 | — |
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $103,048 | $138,598 | — |
| 7 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | $104,233 | $136,389 | — |
| 8 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | AL | — | $130,811 | — |
| 9 | Binghamton University | NY | $93,437 | $129,439 | — |
| 10 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | — | $128,986 | — |
| 11 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | — | $128,986 | — |
| 12 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | NM | — | $121,670 | — |
| 13 | Auburn University | AL | $114,498 | $119,179 | — |
| 14 | Oregon State University | OR | $118,916 | — | — |
| 15 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | OR | $118,916 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do industrial engineering graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in industrial engineering reports median earnings of $77,946. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
