Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at California Institute of Technology

The $59,309 first-year earning estimate—based on the median of five comparable California environmental engineering programs—places this Caltech program squarely in the middle of the state's range, well below what graduates from Cal Poly SLO ($82,197) and San Diego State ($66,482) typically earn. For one of the world's most selective institutions (3% admission rate), this is unexpected. The estimated $27,000 debt load yields a manageable 0.46 debt-to-earnings ratio, but the earnings picture deserves scrutiny. These figures come from peer programs because Caltech's cohort was too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes.

The limited sample size itself tells a story: this isn't a flagship program at Caltech, where engineering typically commands premium returns. When similar programs in California produce such varied results—from $47,000 to $82,000—program quality and industry connections matter enormously. Caltech's brand undoubtedly opens doors, but if this specific environmental engineering track isn't producing the graduate pipeline or industry partnerships that drive higher salaries, families are essentially paying elite tuition for middle-of-the-pack outcomes in a field where state school graduates often do just as well or better.

Before committing, determine why this program's cohort is so small and whether Caltech's strengths in other engineering disciplines translate here. The debt level won't crush anyone, but spending four years at an ultra-competitive institution to earn what UC Riverside grads make suggests this particular program may not leverage Caltech's advantages effectively.