Home › Purdue University-Main Campus › Engineering-Related Fields

Engineering-Related Fields at Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · Public · Bachelor's Degree
61 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
61
Optimistic
61
Base Case
59
Pessimistic
Earnings $72,252/yr (4% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (111,400 openings/yr)
ROI 16.6x earnings multiple (5.8x out-of-state)
Ranked #16 of 31 Engineering-Related Fields programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Engineering-Related Fields graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $679K $665K $603K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.0x 16.6x 15.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.9x 5.8x 5.2x
Probability of Field Employment 55% 52% 41%
DegreeOutlook Score 61 61 59

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$39,968
Out-of-state: $115,176 (5.8x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$55,780
-40% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$16,153
2.7 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $72,252/yr, roughly in line with the $69,301 national median for Engineering-Related Fields. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 16.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 38% task exposure — and the 11% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $72,252 far exceeding the $16,153 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #16 out of 31 programs, Purdue University-Main Campus's financial outcomes for Engineering-Related Fields trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About Purdue University-Main Campus

A 50% admission rate makes Purdue University-Main Campus accessible to a wide range of qualified students, one of the larger campuses at 39,637 students in West Lafayette, IN.

See all programs and financial aid at Purdue University-Main Campus →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Industrial production managers $121,440/yr
Engineers, all other $117,750/yr
View all 10 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 31 schools offering Engineering-Related Fields →

Engineering-Related Fields at Other Schools

Stanford University ($100,788) Stevens Institute of Technology ($79,755) Michigan State University ($76,563) Arizona State University Campus Immersion ($76,149) Arizona State University Digital Immersion ($76,149) University of Arizona ($75,109) Rochester Institute of Technology ($74,923) Miami University-Oxford ($74,624)

Other Majors at Purdue University-Main Campus

Computer Science ($94,786) Computer Engineering ($89,965) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($84,300) Industrial Engineering ($81,379) Chemical Engineering ($81,105) Mechanical Engineering ($80,374) Materials Engineering ($78,265) Construction Engineering ($76,966)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Engineering-Related Fields trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Purdue University-Main Campus's Engineering-Related Fields program score?
A score of 61/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Purdue University-Main Campus trails the majority of Engineering-Related Fields programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Engineering-Related Fields to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Engineering-Related Fields careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 38% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →