Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

The small sample size here demands caution, but the data suggests SIU-Carbondale's electrical engineering program trails most Illinois alternatives by a meaningful margin. Starting at $68,670, graduates earn about $8,000 less than the Illinois median and nearly $9,000 below the national benchmark. While the program sits at the 40th percentile within Illinois—essentially middle-of-the-pack statewide—it ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally. For context, SIUE graduates start around $11,000 higher, and UIUC alumni earn nearly $18,000 more from day one.

The debt picture offers a silver lining: at $19,750, borrowing runs about $5,000 below both state and national medians, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29. Steady earnings growth to $77,944 by year four shows the degree does gain value over time. However, even after four years, graduates still earn less than the typical starting salary at stronger Illinois programs.

**The bottom line**: If your child has admission options at UIUC, SIUE, or Bradley, those programs demonstrate clearer return on investment. If SIU-Carbondale is the choice for other reasons—affordability, location, fit—the lower debt burden helps offset the earnings gap, but understand you're accepting a trade-off between immediate accessibility and long-term earning potential. The small sample also means outcomes could vary considerably from these figures.