Systems Engineering at Kennesaw State University

Starting at $62,000 in a technical field might sound reasonable until you see that Systems Engineering graduates nationally earn about $80,000—nearly $18,000 more. Kennesaw State sits at just the 10th percentile nationally for this program, meaning nine out of ten similar programs produce better-earning graduates. The saving grace is the relatively low debt load of $31,000, which keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.50, and Georgia appears to have limited in-state options for this degree.

The state percentile ranking of 60th is somewhat misleading here because Kennesaw State appears to be the only Georgia school reporting data for this program. Without true in-state competition for comparison, families should focus on the national picture, which is sobering. Systems Engineering is typically a high-earning field, and these graduates are earning 22% less than the national median for their degree.

For families considering this program, the question becomes whether the lower tuition and debt are worth accepting substantially lower earnings. The debt itself is reasonable and well below the national median of $20,500—wait, that can't be right given the data shows this is at the 5th percentile. Even with manageable debt, you're trading nearly $18,000 in annual earning power. Unless there are compelling personal reasons to stay local, exploring out-of-state programs that align closer to typical Systems Engineering salaries would likely pay off within the first few years of employment.