Computer Engineering at Wright State University-Main Campus

Wright State's Computer Engineering program starts graduates at $70,345—just above Ohio's median but trailing the national benchmark by over $8,000. That ranking tells the story: 60th percentile in Ohio but only 22nd percentile nationally. If your child is choosing between Ohio schools, Wright State lands in the middle of the pack, performing similarly to Cleveland State and Akron but significantly behind Cincinnati and Ohio State (both around $83,000). The gap widens as careers progress, with modest 8% growth to $76,266 by year four.

The $25,000 debt load is manageable, creating a 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio that won't strain monthly budgets. With a 95% admission rate and average SAT of 1086, Wright State offers accessible engineering education for students who might not gain admission to more selective programs. The question is whether that accessibility comes at too steep a career cost. The $13,000 starting salary gap compared to Cincinnati compounds significantly over a career—potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For families prioritizing staying in Ohio and keeping debt low, Wright State delivers a functional engineering credential. But students who can compete for admission at Cincinnati or Ohio State should seriously weigh the earnings premium those programs command.