Computer Engineering at Miami University-Oxford

Miami's Computer Engineering program charges relatively little debt—just $27,000, which places it in the 5th percentile nationally—but delivers below-average earnings. While $71,836 is reasonable for Ohio (60th percentile statewide), it lags the national median by about $7,000 and falls well short of what Ohio State and Cincinnati engineering grads earn. Your child would start nearly $12,000 behind peers at those flagship programs, though with similar debt levels.

The 25% earnings growth to $89,462 by year four is solid, and the 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio means this degree is financially manageable—certainly not a debt trap. But here's the tradeoff: Miami's 82% admission rate and modest engineering outcomes suggest it's a safety school delivering safety-school results. For a high-achieving student who could access more competitive programs, the $30,000+ earnings gap compared to Ohio State compounds significantly over a career. For a student who wouldn't gain admission to those top-tier programs, however, Miami offers a legitimate engineering degree without crushing debt.

The question isn't whether this works—it clearly does. It's whether your child has better options. If they're targeting flagship universities with stronger tech recruiting pipelines, Miami is the backup plan. If this represents their best admit, the manageable debt and respectable Ohio outcomes make it a reasonable choice for launching an engineering career.