Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

UW-Milwaukee's electrical engineering program produces graduates who earn solid middle-class incomes, but they're making about $4,000 less than their peers at other Wisconsin engineering schools. At $73,603 in the first year, graduates trail the state median by roughly 5%, placing them squarely in the middle of the pack—40th percentile statewide. For context, Madison and Marquette grads start nearly $10,000 higher. The gap narrows slightly by year four as earnings grow to $81,168, but you're still looking at a noticeable differential compared to the state's top programs.

The saving grace here is debt. At $32,498, graduates borrow more than the state median ($26,750), but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 remains manageable—far below the concerning 1.0 threshold. Compared to the punishing debt loads at some engineering schools nationally, this ranks in just the 5th percentile, meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with more debt. For a family prioritizing affordability over prestige, that's a meaningful advantage.

The practical question is whether saving a few thousand dollars in debt justifies accepting lower starting salaries that compound over a career. If your child can get into Madison (and you qualify for in-state tuition there too), the math likely favors the flagship. But UW-Milwaukee offers a reasonable path into electrical engineering without the competitive admissions pressure, and that 10% earnings growth suggests graduates are building viable careers.