Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at San Diego State University

San Diego State's Environmental Engineering program punches above its weight among California schools, with graduates earning $66,482—over $7,000 more than the state median and landing in the 60th percentile statewide. More impressive is the debt picture: at just $19,089, borrowers finish with roughly $1,400 less debt than the California median and significantly less than the $23,000 national benchmark. The 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans with less than four months of income.

There's a catch worth noting—Cal Poly SLO's program produces graduates earning $82,000, showing what's possible at the top tier. However, with SDSU's 34% admission rate versus Cal Poly's hyper-competitive admissions, this represents a more accessible path to solid engineering outcomes. For a public university serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students, these numbers demonstrate real mobility potential.

The fundamentals here work in a graduate's favor: strong demand for environmental engineers, manageable debt, and first-year earnings that beat both state and national medians. Parents looking at engineering options should view this as a financially sound choice, particularly for students who want to stay in California without banking on admission to the most competitive programs.