Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Milwaukee School of Engineering

A bachelor's in communications at an engineering school raises immediate questions about program maturity and career network strength. Based on peer programs nationwide, graduates typically earn around $39,800 in their first year—roughly $3,500 below what similar Wisconsin programs produce. That gap matters when you're carrying an estimated $25,800 in debt, especially since communications majors at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh start at $46,000 with comparable borrowing.

The 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio sits in reasonable territory, meaning graduates would dedicate about two-thirds of their first-year salary to debt repayment if they paid it all at once. But Milwaukee School of Engineering's engineering-focused culture and alumni networks likely tilt heavily toward technical fields, potentially leaving communications graduates without the industry connections that make these programs work elsewhere. With only 23% of students receiving Pell grants, this isn't a school that traditionally serves cost-conscious families looking for the safest bet.

Unless your child has specific reasons to pursue communications at an engineering institution—perhaps combining it with technical coursework—the estimated numbers suggest they'd face both lower earnings potential and weaker career support than at Wisconsin's established communications programs. The lack of reported data itself tells you this is a small program without a proven track record.