Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Florida International University

FIU's electrical and communications engineering graduates start at $71,447—about $6,500 below the national median and $2,500 below Florida's average for this major. While that puts the program in the 40th percentile statewide (right in the middle of Florida's 15 engineering schools), it trails peer institutions considerably: University of Florida graduates earn $14,000 more in their first year, and even Florida Atlantic and UCF graduates start $4,000-5,000 ahead. The debt burden of $19,600 is manageable, coming in below both state and national averages, but it doesn't fully offset the earnings gap.

The positive news is solid earnings growth—21% from year one to year four—and that low debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 means graduates can handle payments comfortably from day one. For families prioritizing affordability over top-tier starting salaries, particularly the 40% of students receiving Pell grants, FIU offers a reasonable path into engineering. The moderate sample size suggests stable outcomes rather than outlier data.

The tradeoff is straightforward: you're getting an engineering degree at below-market starting pay in exchange for lower debt. If your child is choosing between FIU and higher-ranked Florida programs, the $4,000-14,000 annual salary difference compounds quickly over a career. But if the alternative is taking on significantly more debt elsewhere, FIU's combination of manageable loans and eventual mid-$80,000s earnings makes practical sense.