Engineering-Related Fields at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

First-year earnings of $62,458 land this program below both the state median ($65,996) and national median ($68,919) for engineering-related bachelor's degrees—a gap of roughly $6,500 compared to the typical national outcome. While the estimated debt of $25,236 (based on national patterns for similar institutions) appears manageable at a 0.40 ratio to earnings, the lagging salary suggests graduates aren't capturing the full value that engineering-adjacent fields typically deliver. For context, Miami University's engineering-related program produces graduates earning $74,624 their first year—a $12,000 premium that compounds significantly over a career.

The real question is whether this specific program suffers from measurement issues (the small graduate sample that triggered debt suppression could also affect earnings reliability) or genuinely underperforms its peers. Given UC's relatively open admissions and the fact that only four Ohio schools report this data, some variation is expected. But falling to the 22nd percentile nationally raises concerns about curriculum strength, employer connections, or how "engineering-related" translates in this particular program versus more established engineering tracks.

The debt won't sink you, but the earnings gap matters. Before committing, compare this program's specific focus area against UC's core engineering offerings—if it's meant as an interdisciplinary option, make sure the career pathways justify accepting first-year earnings $6,500 below standard for the credential.