Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Missouri-Columbia

Mizzou's electrical engineering graduates earn $85,400 right out of school—ranking in the 95th percentile nationally for this major. That's nearly $8,000 more than the typical electrical engineering grad nationwide. The debt load of $22,499 is reasonable for engineering, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.26, meaning graduates earn more than three times their debt in their first year alone.

The state comparison reveals an interesting dynamic. While Mizzou ranks at the 60th percentile among Missouri's eight electrical engineering programs, it's only about $4,000 behind Missouri S&T, the state's top performer. Given that Missouri S&T is heavily specialized in STEM while Mizzou offers a comprehensive university experience at a 77% admission rate, that narrow gap is actually impressive. You're getting near-flagship-technical-school earnings without the hyper-competitive admissions environment.

The modest 2% earnings growth over four years is the one limitation here, but when you start at $85,400, you're already well-positioned in the labor market. For parents weighing options, this delivers strong immediate returns with manageable debt—a combination that makes the investment straightforward to justify, especially for in-state families getting the tuition discount.