Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Harvard University

Harvard's engineering program carries an estimated $26,000 in debt—modest by national standards—but the estimated first-year earnings of $82,798 place it squarely in the middle of the pack for Massachusetts engineering programs. This is surprising given Harvard's elite status. While peer programs at MIT and Northeastern produce substantially higher starting salaries ($117,345 and $92,222 respectively), the estimate here suggests Harvard's electrical engineering graduates earn roughly the same as those from Western New England or Wentworth.

The 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable on paper, and Harvard's low admission rate (3%) and stellar SAT scores (1553) signal exceptional students. But if you're hoping that Harvard's name alone will translate to outsized engineering earnings, these comparable-program estimates don't support that assumption. The school's strength may lie elsewhere—perhaps in opportunities for graduate study, research connections, or pivoting to fields outside traditional engineering.

For the cost and competition involved in admission, this program's estimated earnings profile suggests it may not maximize return on investment if your child's goal is immediate career earnings in electrical engineering. If attending Harvard serves broader objectives—network, prestige, or academic foundation for further study—those factors should drive the decision, not the engineering salary potential alone.