Engineering at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

In Tennessee's engineering landscape, this program's estimated $68,000 first-year earnings outpace the state median of $63,746 by roughly $4,000, and graduates reach nearly $78,000 by year four—solid income for a technical field that typically offers strong returns. The estimated debt load of $25,800 translates to a 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates would owe about five months of their first-year salary, a manageable burden by most standards.

What matters here is the trajectory. While peer engineering programs nationally suggest similar starting points, the four-year figure shows meaningful growth, indicating that graduates are advancing rather than stalling. Engineering degrees typically justify their cost through steady career progression, and these estimates align with that pattern. The school's 77% admission rate and solid test scores suggest it's accessible without being non-selective, potentially appealing to capable students who want a legitimate engineering path without elite-school competition.

The caveat is that these figures come from comparable programs rather than UTC's actual graduate outcomes—the specific cohort was too small to report publicly. For parents, that means the program is small enough that DOE privacy rules kicked in, but the estimated benchmarks suggest reasonable value. An engineering degree at roughly $26,000 in debt with starting salaries in the mid-to-high $60s represents a sound investment if your child is committed to the field and can handle the rigor.