Electrical Engineering: CUNY City College vs University of California-Berkeley

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
CUNY City College
New York, NY
In-State
26.2x
$29,360 tuition
28.4x
$59,400 tuition
Out-of-State
12.6x
$61,160 tuition
9.2x
$182,508 tuition
$78,172/yr starting · Public
$137,295/yr starting · Public

Head-to-Head

CUNY City College University of California-Berkeley
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 26.2x 28.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 12.6x 9.2x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,360 $59,400
Year 1 Earnings $78,172 $137,295
10-Year Earnings $770K $1,686K
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 75/100 76/100
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 11.7%

Both programs have very high AI automation risk (56% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Electrical Engineering graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Electrical Engineering graduates.

CUNY City College University of California-Berkeley
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,360 $59,400
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $61,160 $182,508
10-Year Projected Earnings $770K $1,686K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 26.2x 28.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 12.6x 9.2x
5-Year Salary Growth +17% +75%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Electrical Engineering (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

CUNY City College University of California-Berkeley
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $942K $770K $548K $2,793K $1,686K $962K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 32.1x 26.2x 18.7x 47.0x 28.4x 16.2x
DegreeWorth Score 77 75 68 79 76 68

For the full AI analysis of Electrical Engineering career paths, see the CUNY City College or University of California-Berkeley program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Electrical Engineering graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$30,040
CUNY City College saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$59,123/yr
University of California-Berkeley grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
26.2x / 28.4x
Out-of-state: 12.6x / 9.2x

Career Paths

Electrical Engineering graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Computer hardware engineers $155,020 4,700 +7.3% 73%
Aerospace engineers $134,830 4,500 +6.1% 57%
Electronics engineers, except computer $127,590 5,700 +6.2% 67%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Electrical engineers $111,910 11,700 +7.2% 56%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%

Explore Each Program

More Electrical Engineering Comparisons

Electrical Engineering Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Electrical Engineering: CUNY City College or University of California-Berkeley?
CUNY City College scores 75/100 while University of California-Berkeley scores 76/100. CUNY City College has significantly lower tuition, which drives its competitive ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Electrical Engineering?
CUNY City College has an in-state earnings multiple of 26.2x vs University of California-Berkeley's 28.4x. That means University of California-Berkeley grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $30,040 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do CUNY City College and University of California-Berkeley compare on Electrical Engineering earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $78,172 at CUNY City College vs $137,295 at University of California-Berkeley. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $770,242 vs $1,685,687 — a difference of $915,445.
How much does Electrical Engineering cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $29,360 at CUNY City College and $59,400 at University of California-Berkeley. Both programs lead to the same Electrical Engineering career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.