Industrial Engineering at Auburn University

Auburn's Industrial Engineering program produces graduates who earn less than the national median for the field, landing in just the 30th percentile nationally. First-year earnings of $71,063 trail the $74,709 national benchmark by about $3,600 annually. Within Alabama, where only two schools offer this program, Auburn ranks second with starting earnings roughly $5,600 below the University of Alabama in Huntsville. That gap matters in a field where higher-performing programs typically start graduates above $77,000.

The debt picture provides modest relief: at $23,250, it's lower than both the national median ($24,889) and especially the Alabama median ($27,125). The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33 means graduates face manageable monthly payments. Still, the 14% earnings growth over four years—reaching $80,782—is solid but doesn't close the competitive gap with peers from higher-ranked programs.

For families choosing between Alabama's two industrial engineering options, Auburn's lower tuition won't fully offset the earnings disadvantage over a career. Unless there are compelling non-financial reasons to choose Auburn (location, campus culture, merit aid), the data suggests UAH delivers better economic outcomes in this specific field.