Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Tennessee Technological University

Tennessee Tech's electrical engineering graduates start below both national and state medians at $73,453, landing in just the 40th percentile among Tennessee programs—behind UT Knoxville and UT Chattanooga by about $2,000. However, the manageable debt load of $20,034 (well below the state median of $22,315) means graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.27, making the initial shortfall less concerning than it might appear.

The 20% earnings growth to $88,359 by year four helps narrow the gap with competitors, though it doesn't fully close it. For an 83% admission rate school serving a significant population of Pell grant students (31%), these outcomes represent solid value—graduates can realistically pay off their loans within a few years of working. The moderate sample size suggests consistent program performance rather than outlier results.

The practical calculation here: your child would start their career earning about $1,000 less per year than at UT Knoxville, but they'd also likely carry less debt and attend a less selective school. If they're a strong student confident about admission to Tennessee's flagship universities, those programs edge ahead. But Tennessee Tech delivers working engineers with reasonable debt who see meaningful salary progression—a reliable outcome for families prioritizing affordability in engineering education.