Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Texas A&M-Kingsville serves a predominantly Pell-eligible student body in an engineering field where outcomes matter. While both earnings and debt figures here are estimated from peer programs nationally, the picture they sketch deserves scrutiny. The estimated $64,675 first-year salary falls significantly short of what similar programs across Texas deliver—the state median sits at $76,708, meaning comparable environmental engineering programs typically produce graduates earning $12,000 more annually. That gap represents real money for families counting on engineering's earning power to justify the investment.

The estimated debt load of roughly $22,000 appears manageable on paper, with a 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio that keeps monthly payments reasonable. But context matters: Texas programs in this field typically graduate students with slightly less debt ($19,750) while delivering substantially higher earnings. The combination suggests graduates here may face a tougher financial start than peers at other Texas engineering schools, even if the absolute burden isn't crushing.

For families banking on environmental engineering as a pathway to financial security, these estimates warrant deeper investigation. Ask the school directly about actual job placement outcomes, employer relationships in the region, and where recent graduates have landed. The wide accessibility (92% admission rate) is admirable, but you need confidence that degree completion translates into the career outcomes that make engineering programs worthwhile—and the estimated figures here don't yet tell that story convincingly.