Systems Engineering graduates from University of Southern California earn $178,619 median salary, above the national average for this program.

Systems Engineering at University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California • Master's

Median Earnings
$178,619
Graduates earn above the national average for this program

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Systems Engineering at University of Southern California

This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for University of Southern California and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Systems Engineering at the master's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program – not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 38 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at University of Southern California, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.

Median graduate earnings of $178,619 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $144,580 across all institutions offering Systems Engineering, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at University of Southern California, the mean median-earnings figure is $101,870, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.

Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.

Earnings Comparison

This School
$178,619
Systems Engineering
National Average
$144,580
All schools, same program
School Average
$101,870
All programs at University of Southern California

Program Details

Master's
Credential Level
38
Completers (IPEDS)
84
Schools Offering

Debt & ROI

$178,619
Median Earnings

About the Data

Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.

PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.