Engineering at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

In Texas, engineering programs typically produce starting salaries around $68,800, but University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's graduates begin closer to $63,800—solidly in the lower half for the state. Combined with an estimated debt load of $26,500 (based on similar programs at the school), the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 looks reasonable on paper, but the earnings gap matters more than it might initially appear. Over a career, starting $5,000 below the state median compounds significantly, especially when peer programs like Texas Christian University are launching graduates at nearly $74,000.

The challenge here isn't the debt—that's actually in line with national engineering norms and manageable for this field. It's the earning power. Being at the 40th percentile among Texas engineering programs suggests this degree opens fewer doors to the higher-paying industrial or tech sector roles that typically justify engineering's rigorous curriculum. The school's 95% admission rate and modest SAT averages (1098) may signal that recruiting and placement pipelines differ from more selective engineering programs, which often matters as much as curriculum quality in this field.

For families weighing this program, the key question is whether saving potential tuition dollars here (versus a flagship state school or higher-ranked private) offsets the lower starting trajectory. The estimated figures add uncertainty, but the earnings gap with peer Texas programs is the clearer concern.