Computer Engineering at William Penn University

A Computer Engineering degree typically leads to strong first-year earnings, and this program's estimated $78,953 aligns closely with both the national median and what Iowa's flagship universities report. The estimated debt of $26,146 sits slightly above the national median for computer engineering programs but remains manageable—translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33, meaning graduates would owe roughly four months' salary.

What complicates the picture is that we're working entirely with estimates here, derived from peer institutions nationally and across William Penn's portfolio. For reference, Iowa State and University of Iowa—which do report actual outcomes—show nearly identical first-year earnings around $79,200, suggesting the estimate is reasonable. However, those schools' graduates carry slightly less debt (around $21,900 in Iowa overall), which matters when every dollar counts in those first working years.

The practical question is whether William Penn's smaller program—too small for the DOE to publish specific data—offers the same employer connections and technical preparation as larger Iowa engineering schools. Computer engineering credentials travel well, but the outcomes for this specific program remain unknown. If your child has received a strong financial aid package that keeps borrowing well below $26,000, the risk diminishes considerably. Without that, the uncertainty around actual outcomes deserves serious weight in your decision.