Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Based on comparable programs in Colorado, this environmental engineering degree appears positioned right in the middle of the state's engineering market, with first-year earnings around $66,000 and debt near $23,500. That 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable monthly payments—roughly one-third of your first year's salary spread across standard loan terms. Among the four Colorado schools offering this program, Met State sits between Colorado State and CU Boulder in typical outcomes, trailing only Colorado School of Mines significantly.

The challenge here is that these figures come from just three similar programs statewide, and without actual graduate data from Met State specifically, you're making assumptions about how their program performs relative to peers. The school's 99% admission rate and below-average SAT scores might signal different student preparation levels than at the comparison schools, which could affect post-graduation results. Environmental engineering is also a field where graduate school is often necessary for advancement—something to factor into the total investment calculation.

If your child is passionate about environmental work and Metro Denver is where they want to be, the estimated numbers don't raise red flags. But given the data limitations, talk directly with the department about job placement rates, internship connections, and what percentage of graduates go straight into industry versus continuing to grad school. Those concrete details matter more than statewide averages when you're writing the tuition check.