Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

With first-year earnings of $68,223 putting graduates well above the national median ($64,675) and debt estimated around $21,941 based on comparable programs, this engineering degree appears positioned for solid returns. The estimated debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 suggests manageable repayment—roughly a third of first-year salary—which is favorable for STEM fields where early-career earnings matter. Oregon State's Cascades campus matches the outcomes of its main Corvallis location for this major, suggesting students benefit from the same academic reputation while studying in Bend.

The modest 8% earnings growth between years one and four is worth noting. Similar environmental engineering programs sometimes see stronger salary progression as graduates move into senior technical or project management roles, so this flatter trajectory could reflect regional employment patterns in Central Oregon versus Portland's larger engineering market. Still, starting near $70,000 in a region with lower living costs than the state's major metros provides real purchasing power.

Since the debt figure comes from peer institutions rather than this program's specific graduates, your actual borrowing could differ—Oregon State's financial aid structure and your family's circumstances will determine the real number. But given the strong starting salary relative to estimated debt, this program shows the earning power you'd expect from an accredited engineering degree. If your child is committed to environmental engineering specifically, the combination of reasonable estimated debt and above-average earnings makes this a defensible choice.