Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at California State University-Long Beach

Cal State Long Beach's electrical engineering program lands in the middle of the pack—literally. At $77,278 in first-year earnings, graduates sit just below both national and California medians for the major, ranking in the 40th percentile statewide. That's a significant gap when you consider UC Berkeley grads in the same field earn nearly $140,000 and even Cal Poly SLO grads start at $90,000. For a field where starting salaries typically reflect career trajectory, this positioning matters.

The debt picture offers some relief: $19,750 is manageable for an engineering degree and slightly below California's median. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26, graduates can realistically pay off loans within a year or two of focused effort. Earnings do grow to nearly $89,000 by year four, a respectable 15% increase, though this still lags behind what many California engineering programs deliver right out of the gate.

For families choosing Long Beach for in-state tuition reasons—and with 49% of students receiving Pell grants, many are—this program delivers employable engineering credentials without crushing debt. But parents should understand the tradeoff: you're getting solid training at an accessible price point, not the premium starting salaries that other California engineering programs command. If cost is the primary driver, this works. If maximizing early career earnings matters, look higher up the state rankings.