ROI Major

Computer Engineering at Wright State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer Engineering degree from Wright State University earn a median salary of $93,268 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $103,516. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.9 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

$77,503

Typical Career

$93,268

Top Performers

$111,983

Estimated break-even: 3.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$622

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,772. Most students can comfortably afford about a $622 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.4%
Educational Services 17.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.4%

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

$103,516

Nominal: $93,268 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

3.9 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 $56,511 $70,512 $83,196
5 Years After Graduation $77,503 $93,268 $111,983
10 Years After Graduation $91,987 $114,606 $151,150

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 $93,268 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $93,268 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $103,516 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Computer Engineering from Wright State University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $70,512, which increases to $93,268 after five years and reaches $114,606 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $103,516.09, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to the national average despite Ohio's lower cost of living index.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.4%), Educational Services (17.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.4%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 3.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering at Wright State University appears favorable. This combination of strong earnings potential and diverse career opportunities suggests a promising outlook for graduates in the field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Computer Engineering degree at Wright 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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