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Electrical at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
73 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
74
Optimistic
73
Base Case
69
Pessimistic
Earnings $75,316/yr (-3% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (56% exposed)
Job Market Large (54,500 openings/yr)
ROI 16.4x earnings multiple (6.9x out-of-state)
Ranked #134 of 262 Electrical programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Electrical graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $931K $885K $738K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.3x 16.4x 13.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.3x 6.9x 5.8x
Probability of Field Employment 78% 70% 48%
DegreeOutlook Score 74 73 69

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$53,936
Out-of-state: $127,896 (6.9x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$72,436
-34% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$21,565
3.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$99,479
32% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $75,316 track close to the $77,516 national median for Electrical programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 16.4x 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 — 56% task exposure — and the 21% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $21,565 in median debt against $75,316 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #134 out of 262 programs, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's financial outcomes for Electrical trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $75,316 to $99,479 shows 32% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

With a 46% acceptance rate, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is moderately selective, serving a student body of 28,763 in Knoxville, TN.

See all programs and financial aid at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Computer hardware engineers $155,020/yr
Aerospace engineers $134,830/yr
View all 7 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 262 schools offering Electrical →

Electrical at Other Schools

Carnegie Mellon University ($139,337) University of California-Berkeley ($137,295) Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($117,345) Cornell University ($100,516) The University of Texas at Austin ($96,997) Rice University ($96,751) National University ($93,417) Northeastern University ($92,222)

Other Majors at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Chemical Engineering ($76,302) Computer Engineering ($74,085) Industrial Engineering ($73,822) Nuclear Engineering ($73,724) Computer Science ($70,193) Mechanical Engineering ($65,756) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($65,298) Civil Engineering ($64,386)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Electrical 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 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's Electrical program score?
A score of 73/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but The University of Tennessee-Knoxville trails the majority of Electrical programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Electrical to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Electrical careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 56% 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 →