Industrial Engineering at University of San Diego

At $80,644 in first-year earnings, University of San Diego's industrial engineering graduates do well nationally—landing in the 91st percentile—but sit squarely in the middle of California's competitive field. The estimated $24,417 in debt, based on typical borrowing patterns at USD across programs, translates to a manageable 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio that should allow new engineers to handle loan payments comfortably while establishing themselves in one of the country's pricier metro areas.

The challenge here is that California's industrial engineering programs are unusually strong. USC and Cal Poly SLO graduates are pulling down an extra $7,000+ annually, which compounds significantly over a career. USD falls closer to CSU Pomona's outcomes—respectable, but at a private school price point. For the 19% of USD students on Pell grants, this matters: while the estimated debt load isn't crushing, every dollar of additional borrowing cuts into the advantage of that strong $80K starting salary, especially when public alternatives in California deliver similar or better earnings at lower cost.

If your student is committed to USD's smaller class sizes and campus environment, the financial fundamentals work—this isn't a risky proposition. But purely on return-on-investment, California's public polytechnics offer industrial engineering graduates comparable or superior earnings outcomes, likely with less debt for in-state students.