Computer Engineering at University of Massachusetts-Amherst

UMass Amherst's Computer Engineering graduates earn nearly $90,000 in their first year and clear $109,000 by year four—solid numbers that beat the national median by more than $10,000 annually. But here's the surprise: despite being the state's flagship public university, these outcomes land squarely in the middle of Massachusetts programs, trailing Northeastern, BU, and even sibling campus UMass Lowell. Students borrow exactly the state median ($27,000), which is modest in absolute terms and yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.30.

The 23% earnings growth over four years suggests stable career progression in a field with strong fundamentals. Nationally, this program performs in the 89th percentile—impressive compared to computer engineering programs across 356 schools. The moderate sample size adds reasonable confidence to these figures.

For Massachusetts families, UMass Amherst represents a safe choice rather than a standout one. The outcomes justify the investment with very manageable debt, but students admitted here should know they're not accessing the state's top-earning computer engineering pipeline. If your child has the profile for Northeastern or BU (and can navigate those costs), the $10,000-20,000 annual earnings premium might matter. Otherwise, UMass Amherst delivers professional-level engineering outcomes without gambling on debt.