Industrial Engineering at California Baptist University

California's industrial engineering programs show a wide spread in outcomes, with top performers earning near $88,000 and the state median sitting at about $84,000. Based on comparable programs across California, CBU's graduates likely fall near that state median—a solid first-year figure that exceeds the national benchmark of $75,000 by a meaningful margin. The estimated debt of $24,400 creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29, meaning graduates would owe roughly three months' salary.

What matters here is how CBU stacks up against its California peers. While USC and Cal Poly SLO graduates start closer to $87,000, CBU's estimated outcomes suggest competitive positioning for a private university with a 74% acceptance rate serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students. The debt load appears reasonable—just slightly above the state's median of $19,700 but well below the national median of nearly $25,000.

The caveat: these figures are estimates derived from peer programs since CBU's industrial engineering cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish. That means your family is making this decision with less certainty than you'd have at schools with reported data. However, the fundamentals look sound—industrial engineering has strong demand in California's diverse manufacturing and logistics sectors, and the estimated financial picture suggests graduates could manage their debt comfortably while building careers in a field with good long-term prospects.