Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Minnesota State University-Mankato

With fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, these numbers deserve skepticism, but the basic math here is straightforward: starting at $72,000 with $28,500 in debt means your child could realistically pay off their loans in two years with aggressive payments. That's a manageable burden for an engineering degree, even if the earnings trail the national median by about $6,000. The context matters too—among Minnesota's seven electrical engineering programs, this lands right at the state median, beating out programs at Saint Cloud State and University of St Thomas. So while graduates at UMN-Twin Cities start $8,000 higher, your child isn't at a major disadvantage staying in-state at Mankato.

The real question is whether the small cohort size reflects program instability or simply indicates this is a newer or smaller engineering track. Small programs can mean more faculty attention, but they can also signal uncertain job placement networks or limited course offerings. Before committing, verify that recent grads are actually landing electrical engineering jobs rather than adjacent tech roles, since earnings can look similar initially but diverge over time.

If your child can get this degree with minimal debt (which the low debt percentile suggests is possible), it's a reasonable value. Just confirm the program has staying power and isn't shrinking.