ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Virginia State University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Virginia State University earn a median salary of $68,702 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,026. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.6 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

$50,881

Typical Career

$68,702

Top Performers

$82,991

Estimated break-even: 5.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$458

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,725. Most students can comfortably afford about a $458 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 20.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.8%
Public Administration 10.7%

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

$67,026

Nominal: $68,702 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower 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).

5.6 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 $39,579 $64,005 $86,297
5 Years After Graduation $50,881 $68,702 $82,991
10 Years After Graduation $56,170 $76,958 $93,989

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 $68,702 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $68,702 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $67,026 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies from Virginia State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $64,005, increasing to $68,702 after five years and reaching $76,958 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the median five-year salary, adjusted for cost of living, is approximately $67,026.34, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite the higher cost of living in Virginia.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (20.3%), Health Care & Social Assistance (17.8%), and Public Administration (10.7%), reflecting diverse career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 5.6 years, suggesting that the investment in education yields a favorable return over time. Overall, pursuing a degree in this field at Virginia State University appears to offer a solid return on investment, both in terms of earnings and career prospects.

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 Virginia State University 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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