Civil Engineering at Western New England University

Western New England University's civil engineering graduates start at $67,726—about $5,000 below the Massachusetts median and firmly in the middle of the national pack at the 38th percentile. Among the 10 programs in Massachusetts, this lands exactly at the state median for debt ($27,000), but the earnings gap with top programs is notable: Worcester Polytechnic and Northeastern graduates earn roughly $9,000 more right out of the gate. Even UMass-Amherst, the public alternative, delivers $2,000 higher starting salaries. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40 is reasonable, meaning graduates owe less than half their first year's salary.

The fundamentals here aren't problematic—civil engineering remains a solid field with clear career paths, and the debt load is manageable. However, you're paying private school tuition (likely significantly more than UMass) for earnings that trail most Massachusetts programs. The 83% admission rate and moderate SAT scores suggest this isn't a particularly selective program, which may explain why it doesn't command the same employer interest as WPI or Northeastern.

For an anxious parent, the question is whether the accessibility and smaller program size justify accepting lower starting earnings. If your student needs a less competitive admissions process and values a close-knit engineering environment, this could work. But if they can gain admission to UMass-Amherst or one of the higher-earning private programs, those would deliver better returns on a similar or smaller investment.