Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Memphis

The University of Memphis's electrical engineering program sits in an uncomfortable middle ground—below both the national median ($77,710) and trailing Tennessee's flagship and regional tech-focused universities, yet managing to keep debt reasonable at $23,000. With first-year earnings of $71,137, graduates here start about $4,000 behind the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and roughly $6,500 below the national typical outcome. That 40th percentile ranking among Tennessee programs tells the story: you're getting median-ish results in a state where engineering outcomes are already somewhat compressed.

The debt picture offers some reassurance. At 0.32 times first-year earnings, graduates can manage their loans, and the $23,000 figure undercuts both state and national medians. Earnings do grow to $79,126 by year four—an 11% bump that closes some of the initial gap—but this trajectory still lags behind what students achieve at UT-Knoxville or Tennessee Tech from the start.

Here's the critical caveat: these numbers come from a small sample of fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes may vary significantly. For Tennessee families prioritizing accessibility (93% admission rate, 40% Pell recipients), this program delivers a workable engineering degree without crushing debt. But if your child can gain admission to UT-Knoxville or Tennessee Tech, those programs show stronger earning potential right out of the gate, making them worth the extra competitive hurdle.