Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Iowa

University of Iowa engineering graduates start nearly $7,000 below the national median for electrical engineering programs, earning $70,686 in their first year compared to the typical $77,710. Within Iowa specifically, where only three schools offer this major, Iowa ranks in the middle at the 40th percentile—well behind Iowa State's $84,913. The debt burden of $25,875 is reasonable and close to national norms, but when paired with below-average starting earnings, it creates a less favorable debt-to-earnings ratio than most competing programs achieve.

The 28% earnings growth to $90,600 by year four provides some optimism, suggesting graduates gain traction as they establish themselves professionally. However, this trajectory still leaves them playing catch-up rather than capitalizing on the strong earning potential that electrical engineering typically offers. For a state flagship university with an 85% admission rate, these outcomes suggest the program may not be leveraging Iowa's engineering reputation as effectively as families might expect.

If your child has admission offers from both Iowa and Iowa State, the $14,000 starting salary gap deserves serious consideration—that difference compounds significantly over a career. Iowa's program works for students committed to the university for other reasons, but purely from an ROI perspective, it underperforms relative to both state and national benchmarks for this high-earning field.