Industrial Engineering at Youngstown State University

Youngstown State's industrial engineering program delivers middle-of-the-pack results for Ohio, with graduates earning slightly below the state median but managing reasonable debt levels. At $69,202 in first-year earnings, graduates trail Ohio State by about $12,000 but essentially match several Ohio University campuses. The $25,000 median debt sits comfortably below Ohio's typical $27,000 for this major, yielding a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36—meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross income.

The gap between these outcomes and national benchmarks ($74,709 median) matters less than it might appear. Industrial engineering graduates from this program still enter solid middle-class careers immediately, and Youngstown State's 33% Pell grant rate suggests it's serving students who might not otherwise access engineering degrees. For families concerned about cost, this represents a practical path to engineering credentials without the debt loads that plague many technical programs. The moderate sample size of 30-100 graduates indicates a stable, established program rather than an experimental offering.

For Ohio families seeking affordable engineering education, this program makes financial sense. Your child gets professional credentials leading to $70,000 starting salaries with debt that won't dictate their career choices. It's not the state's most prestigious option, but it's a reasonable investment that does what it promises.