Computer Engineering at Kettering University

Kettering's computer engineering graduates start at $82,580—outearning the typical Michigan grad by about $2,000 and sitting comfortably in the top third nationally. The $30,000 debt load is among the lowest you'll find anywhere, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio that makes this one of the more manageable financial outcomes in engineering. For comparison, Michigan State achieves similar earnings with comparable debt, though their brand recognition carries wider.

The cautionary note here is the sample size: fewer than 30 recent graduates means these numbers could shift significantly with the next cohort. Kettering's cooperative education model—students alternate between classroom and paid industry work—likely explains both the strong starting salaries and the relatively manageable debt (co-op earnings help offset costs). However, the school's focus on automotive and manufacturing sectors in Flint means career trajectories may differ from graduates heading to tech hubs.

For a student committed to hands-on engineering in manufacturing or automotive industries, this delivers competitive earnings with genuinely lower debt than most programs. Just recognize you're looking at a specialized, work-integrated model rather than a traditional campus experience, and the small program size means less data to confirm consistency.