Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

UMass Dartmouth's electrical engineering program outperforms the national median but lands in the middle of Massachusetts' competitive engineering landscape—40th percentile statewide versus 65th nationally. That gap matters because most students attend in-state schools, and here they'll face the same $78k Massachusetts cost of living as graduates from higher-ranked programs while earning $3,000 less than the state median ($79,857 versus $82,798). For context, MIT grads earn $117k and even Wentworth students pull in $83k. Still, the 13% earnings growth to $90k by year four suggests solid career trajectory, and the debt load of $27,500 represents just four months of first-year salary—one of the lowest burdens in the state.

The program's real advantage is accessibility combined with manageable debt. With a 92% admission rate and 36% of students on Pell grants, UMass Dartmouth serves students who might not access the Northeastern or WPI pipelines, yet delivers earnings that beat the national average. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 means graduates can handle loan payments while building savings, which isn't guaranteed at pricier private competitors.

For Massachusetts families paying in-state tuition, this represents solid value—not spectacular, but reliably above-average outcomes without crushing debt. Just understand your student will likely start behind peers from the state's elite engineering schools, though the gap narrows somewhat with experience.