Electrical: University of California-Berkeley vs University of Maryland-College Park

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
35.5x
$59,400 tuition
20.4x
$46,020 tuition
Out-of-State
11.6x
$182,508 tuition
5.8x
$161,224 tuition
$2,109,961 10-yr earnings · Public
$939,693 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

University of California-Berkeley University of Maryland-College Park
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 35.5x 20.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.6x 5.8x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $59,400 $46,020
Year 1 Earnings $137,295 $85,500
10-Year Earnings $2,110K $940K
Median Debt $13,674 $21,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 1.2 months 2.9 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 71/100 68/100
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 44.8%

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

ROI Breakdown

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

University of California-Berkeley University of Maryland-College Park
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $59,400 $46,020
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $182,508 $161,224
10-Year Projected Earnings $2,110K $940K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 35.5x 20.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.6x 5.8x
5-Year Salary Growth +75% +26%

"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 (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

University of California-Berkeley University of Maryland-College Park
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $2,298K $2,110K $1,576K $992K $940K $775K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 38.7x 35.5x 26.5x 21.5x 20.4x 16.8x
DegreeWorth Score 73 71 65 71 68 61

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

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

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

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$13,380
University of Maryland-College Park saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$51,795/yr
University of California-Berkeley grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
35.5x / 20.4x
Out-of-state: 11.6x / 5.8x

Career Paths

Electrical 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%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Electrical: University of California-Berkeley or University of Maryland-College Park?
University of California-Berkeley scores 71/100 while University of Maryland-College Park scores 68/100. University of Maryland-College Park 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?
University of California-Berkeley has an in-state earnings multiple of 35.5x vs University of Maryland-College Park's 20.4x. That means University of California-Berkeley grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do University of California-Berkeley and University of Maryland-College Park compare on Electrical earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $137,295 at University of California-Berkeley vs $85,500 at University of Maryland-College Park. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $2,109,961 vs $939,693 — a difference of $1,170,268.
How much does Electrical cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $59,400 at University of California-Berkeley and $46,020 at University of Maryland-College Park. Median debt at graduation is $13,674 vs $21,000. Both programs lead to the same Electrical 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.