Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Trine University

Trine's electrical engineering program lands right at Indiana's median for starting earnings at $73,923, but that tells only part of the story. While this ranks in just the 28th percentile nationally—trailing powerhouses like Notre Dame and Purdue by $10,000-12,000—it places in the 60th percentile among Indiana programs, meaning it outperforms more than half of in-state competitors. For families focused on staying local, Trine offers comparable outcomes to programs like Valparaiso while charging modest debt of $27,000, which graduates can reasonably manage with earnings approaching $75,000 from day one.

The 15% earnings growth to $85,000 by year four is solid, though not spectacular for engineering. The bigger concern is the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates in this data—which means outcomes could vary significantly for your child's cohort. Trine's 85% admission rate and low Pell grant enrollment (16%) suggest a private school serving middle-class families who can afford some tuition but want manageable debt loads.

If your child is targeting elite engineering salaries and can get into Purdue or Notre Dame, those are stronger choices. But if Trine offers a comfortable fit and reasonable financial aid, its combination of manageable debt and middle-of-the-pack Indiana outcomes makes it a defensible option—just don't expect earnings to match the top-tier programs in the state.