Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Saint Francis University

Environmental engineering programs in Pennsylvania cluster tightly around $60,000-$65,000 in first-year earnings, and Saint Francis appears positioned right in this range based on comparable programs nationally. The estimated $27,000 debt load sits below both the state median ($28,992) and would take roughly five months of gross income to pay off—a manageable ratio by any standard.

What makes this field particularly appealing is the stability of outcomes across different institutions. Whether graduates earn their degree at Drexel or at a smaller school like Saint Francis, environmental engineering delivers consistent returns. The 77% admission rate suggests accessibility without the hyper-competitive stress of more selective programs, while the relatively low Pell grant percentage (18%) indicates families choosing this path tend to come from more financially stable backgrounds.

The main caveat here is the small graduate cohort—the Department of Education suppressed actual data because too few students completed this program recently to report publicly. This could mean the program is newer, smaller by design, or struggling with retention. For parents, that's worth investigating directly: ask about class sizes, faculty support, and how many students actually finish. A solid environmental engineering curriculum should produce consistent graduates, and if Saint Francis isn't hitting that threshold, you'll want to understand why before committing.