Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

UIUC's electrical engineering program produces graduates earning $86,483 in their first year—placing them in the 95th percentile nationally and well above the typical $77,710 for this field. Yet here's the Illinois puzzle: while this crushes national competition, it ranks only 60th percentile within the state, trailing nearby programs like SIU Edwardsville's $79,617. The difference? Those comparison points likely reflect smaller sample sizes and may include nearby Chicago market salaries, whereas UIUC's robust data (100+ graduates) shows what a typical grad actually earns.

The financial fundamentals are excellent. At a 0.25 debt-to-earnings ratio with just $21,600 in median debt (below both state and national medians), graduates can comfortably manage repayment while earning nearly $11,000 more than the national median. Four-year earnings of $90,757 show steady progression rather than explosive growth, but that's normal for engineering fields where starting salaries are already strong.

For an anxious parent, this is straightforward: UIUC delivers top-tier electrical engineering outcomes at a reasonable debt cost. The competitive admission standards (44% acceptance, 1418 SAT) reflect program quality, and graduates enter the workforce with both excellent earnings and manageable debt—a combination that makes this program a solid investment.