Engineering at Taylor University

At $67,911 in estimated first-year earnings, this engineering program appears to trail the Indiana state median of $75,000 by a noticeable margin. While peer engineering programs nationally suggest this salary range is achievable, Indiana's market typically rewards new engineers more generously—University of Southern Indiana's graduates, for instance, start at exactly that $75,000 mark. That $7,000 gap matters when you're carrying $26,500 in estimated debt, though the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 remains well within manageable territory for an engineering degree.

The more pressing question is whether Taylor's smaller program size (which triggers data suppression) translates into limited recruiting pipelines or fewer Indiana employer connections. Engineering outcomes often depend heavily on internship networks and regional employer relationships. Similar programs nationally produce these earnings figures, but Taylor's graduates may need to cast a wider geographic net to match them, particularly if Indiana's stronger engineering market doesn't actively recruit from campus.

The fundamentals here aren't alarming—engineering remains one of the more reliable investments in higher education, and the estimated debt load is reasonable. But when comparable programs in-state show stronger starting salaries, you'd want to understand specifically how Taylor's engineering graduates fare in job placement and whether the school's employer connections justify choosing it over programs with demonstrated Indiana market performance.