Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Sam Houston State University

A $39,000 starting salary for a computer engineering technology degree sounds reasonable until you see that Sam Houston State graduates are earning 20% less than the typical Texas graduate in this field and $10,000 below the national median. Among the seven Texas schools offering this program, Sam Houston ranks near the bottom—only slightly better than the worst performer. When University of Houston-Downtown graduates start at $68,000 and even the University of Houston's program delivers $57,000, this outcome is hard to justify.

The debt load of $20,375 is actually competitive—lower than both state and national medians. That's the silver lining here. But it doesn't fix the fundamental problem: these earnings are in the bottom 5% nationally for this degree. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means one or two atypical outcomes could skew these numbers, but even accounting for statistical noise, it's difficult to imagine the true median closing a $10,000 gap with stronger data.

If your child is set on attending Sam Houston State, switching to a different major would likely produce better results. If they're committed to computer engineering technology, the in-state alternatives at University of Houston or UH-Downtown offer dramatically better returns. This program appears to be struggling with either curriculum relevance, employer connections, or student preparation—something that makes graduates significantly less competitive in the Texas tech market.