Computer Engineering at Marquette University

Marquette's computer engineering program starts graduates at $69,664—nearly $10,000 below the national median and lagging behind nearly every other Wisconsin engineering school. While the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could fluctuate year to year, the pattern is concerning: this program ranks in just the 20th percentile nationally and 40th percentile statewide, despite Marquette's tuition being significantly higher than Wisconsin's public universities.

The debt picture offers a partial bright spot. At $24,767, graduates carry roughly average debt for computer engineering students, and strong earnings growth of 25% by year four brings salaries to $87,293. That's a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36, meaning graduates should be able to manage their loans. However, even that four-year mark leaves Marquette grads earning less than what University of Wisconsin-Stout graduates make right out of college.

For a private university charging premium tuition, these outcomes don't stack up well. Unless your child has substantial financial aid that brings costs below in-state public options, Wisconsin's public universities are delivering better starting outcomes in computer engineering—particularly UW-Stout and Milwaukee School of Engineering, which place graduates $8,000-$11,000 ahead in year one. The limited sample size suggests some caution, but it's hard to justify the investment when cheaper alternatives produce stronger results.