ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Minnesota State University, Mankato

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato earn a median salary of $81,671 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $86,792. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$59,848

Typical Career

$81,671

Top Performers

$96,791

Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$544

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,806. Most students can comfortably afford about a $544 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.7%
Educational Services 14.4%
Manufacturing 9.1%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$86,792

Nominal: $81,671 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

4.6 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $53,578 $64,005 $70,713
5 Years After Graduation $59,848 $81,671 $96,791
10 Years After Graduation $91,197 $108,447 $123,890

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $81,671 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $81,671 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $86,792 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, experience a significant earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $64,005, which increases to $81,671 five years later and reaches $108,447 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $86,791.71, indicating a competitive earning potential relative to the national average, especially considering Minnesota's cost of living index of 0.941.

The program leads graduates into diverse industries, with notable concentrations in Health Care & Social Assistance (22.7%), Educational Services (14.4%), and Manufacturing (9.1%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 4.6 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment. Overall, pursuing a degree in this field appears to offer substantial financial benefits and career opportunities in growing sectors.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree at Minnesota State University, Mankato stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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