Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at Tufts University

When comparable electrical engineering programs in Massachusetts produce first-year earnings around $83,000 against an estimated debt load of $26,000, you're looking at a solid debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31—well within safe territory for STEM fields. The actual four-year earnings figure of $103,000 confirms graduates hit their stride quickly, though Tufts notably trails MIT and Northeastern among Bay State engineering programs.

What's trickier here is distinguishing Tufts' value from its less selective Massachusetts competitors. Similar programs at WPI and Wentworth—schools with markedly different admission profiles—produce nearly identical first-year outcomes based on state data. That $1,513 SAT average and 10% admission rate suggest you're paying a premium for academic prestige that doesn't immediately translate to higher engineering salaries. The 12% Pell Grant rate reinforces that Tufts draws from affluent families who can absorb this calculation differently than most.

The debt load itself is manageable—$26,000 is right at the state and national median for engineering bachelor's degrees. But given the limited actual data on Tufts' specific outcomes and the comparable earnings at less expensive Massachusetts engineering programs, families should verify what Tufts' career services can share about recent graduate placements. At this admission level and price point, you'd want to see Tufts tracking closer to Northeastern's $92,000 rather than clustering with the state median.