Engineering Science: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Engineering Science graduates earn a median $93,782 four years after finishing — $45,422/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.5 years. Federal data pools 53 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 541 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Engineering Science ranks #16 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 93% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth College | NH | $113,749 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $101,127 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $100,176 |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $91,309 |
| 5 | Hofstra University | NY | $90,246 |
| 6 | California State University-Bakersfield | CA | $88,948 |
| 7 | Trinity University | TX | $86,823 |
| 8 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | $86,015 |
| 9 | Wartburg College | IA | $78,959 |
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.