Computer Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Virginia Tech's Computer Engineering program sits right at the median for Virginia programs, matching the state's $86,636 first-year earnings figure exactly. While this ties with George Mason and beats the national average by nearly $8,000, it trails well behind UVA's $118,232—a gap of more than $30,000 annually. With a 60th percentile ranking in-state, this program performs solidly but doesn't dominate Virginia's competitive engineering landscape despite Tech's strong reputation in technical fields.

The financial fundamentals are sound: a 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than four months of first-year salary, and the $26,000 debt load sits below both state and national medians. Earnings growth of 24% over four years is healthy, pushing mid-career salaries above $107,000. For families paying close attention to value, Tech delivers strong outcomes without the debt burden that plagues many engineering programs.

However, the opportunity cost matters here. If your child can gain admission to UVA's program, the earnings difference—about $32,000 annually early on—dwarfs any modest debt variation between schools. Tech remains a solid choice for students who prefer its campus culture or need the higher admission rate (57% vs. UVA's selectivity), but families purely optimizing for financial return should weigh whether the in-state alternatives justify different application strategies.