Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at California Institute of Technology

A Caltech engineering degree with an estimated $78,000 first-year salary raises immediate questions—this figure, derived from the median of 21 California electrical engineering programs, seems dramatically low for an institution with a 3% admission rate. For context, UC Berkeley's reported outcomes for this same major show graduates earning $137,000, while even Cal Poly SLO graduates start above $90,000. The $26,000 in estimated debt is manageable on paper (a 0.33 ratio is healthy by any standard), but the salary estimate doesn't align with what we'd expect from one of the world's most selective technical institutions.

The data suppression here—both earnings and debt—suggests a very small graduating class, which makes sense given Caltech's tiny size. But this also means the state median used for estimation is heavily influenced by programs at less selective schools. Real Caltech engineering graduates almost certainly command starting salaries well into six figures based on the school's reputation and the outcomes visible at peer institutions. The actual value proposition is likely far stronger than these estimates suggest.

For anxious parents: the numbers here are statistical placeholders, not reflections of what your child would actually earn. If your student is among the rare few admitted to Caltech, the financial return on an engineering degree will almost certainly exceed what comparable California programs produce. The uncertainty cuts in your favor here.