Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University's electrical engineering program starts graduates about $6,000 behind the state median and nearly $14,000 behind Arizona State and U of A. While the relatively modest debt load of $20,500 is lower than most Arizona programs, the first-year salary of $71,370 means new engineers are earning at the 40th percentile among Arizona programs—basically middle-of-the-pack in a state with just six options. The 21% earnings growth to $86,613 by year four helps close the gap, but graduates are still trailing their peers from the state's flagship universities.

The program does what it's supposed to do: it produces working engineers with manageable debt. The 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio is comfortable, and NAU's 91% admission rate means your child has a clear path to an engineering degree. But here's the practical question: if they can get into ASU or U of A, those programs deliver $13,000+ more in starting salary for similar debt levels. That difference compounds over a career.

This makes sense for students who need the accessibility of Northern Arizona's campus, prefer a smaller university town, or couldn't get into the state's more competitive programs. But if your child is competitive for ASU or U of A, it's worth asking whether NAU's location or campus culture is worth starting their engineering career $50,000+ behind over their first four years in the workforce.