Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Ohio University-Main Campus

Ohio University's electrical engineering program starts graduates significantly behind the pack—over $13,000 below the national median in year one and about $5,000 below Ohio's median—but shows something interesting in the earnings trajectory. That 39% jump to $89,197 by year four pushes graduates well past both state and national medians, suggesting the program may produce engineers who develop valuable skills even if their first jobs don't fully reflect their potential. Still, that initial gap matters: while the state percentile sits at 40th, the national ranking at just the 5th percentile reveals this program lags most engineering schools outside Ohio.

The debt picture is reasonable at $24,978, creating a manageable 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio that improves substantially as salaries climb. But context matters here: Ohio State graduates start at $78,872 and presumably grow from there, while Case Western and Toledo exceed $80,000 from day one. Your child would be giving up roughly $15,000-$20,000 in early-career earnings compared to these alternatives.

For families weighing cost versus outcomes, this becomes a calculation about upfront tuition savings versus foregone early earnings. If Ohio University offers a significant price advantage and your student can handle the slower career start, the strong mid-career growth provides eventual payoff. But if attending Ohio State or Cincinnati costs roughly the same after aid, those programs deliver better immediate returns without requiring graduates to play catch-up.