Engineering at Bryan College-Dayton

Based on comparable engineering programs nationally, Bryan College-Dayton's estimated first-year earnings of $67,911 align with the national median, while the projected debt of $26,459 sits slightly below typical borrowing levels for engineering degrees. That's a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39—meaning graduates would owe roughly five months' salary, a manageable figure for a field known for strong starting salaries. Tennessee's engineering programs typically produce first-year earnings around $63,746, suggesting Bryan's graduates might perform slightly better than the state average, though this remains uncertain given the limited graduate sample size.

The challenge here is the small cohort: too few students complete this program annually for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. This isn't necessarily a red flag—small programs can offer personalized attention and tight-knit learning environments—but it does mean you're making decisions with less concrete evidence. Engineering is a credential-driven field where accreditation and employer recognition matter enormously, so investigating whether Bryan's program holds ABET accreditation and where recent graduates have actually landed jobs becomes critical.

If your child thrives in smaller settings and Bryan's engineering program connects to employers who value its graduates, the estimated debt burden appears reasonable for the field. But given the uncertainty, verify the program's accreditation status and request placement data directly from the school before committing.