Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering at Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering at Western Carolina University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Western Carolina University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering at the bachelor'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 29 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Western Carolina University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings are not published for this program-school combination, which can reflect source reporting or privacy treatment. Compared to the national mean of $101,141 across all institutions offering Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, graduates here earn at a level the national comparison cannot yet quantify. Across all programs at Western Carolina University, the mean median-earnings figure is $59,295, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering graduates at Western Carolina University is $31,000, which translates to roughly $258 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. 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
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Mellon University | $250,168 | $22,224 |
| University of California-Berkeley | $200,543 | $13,674 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $161,118 | $10,967 |
| Cornell University | $147,241 | $14,725 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $146,003 | $20,480 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $143,332 | - |
| The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | $139,068 | - |
| Rice University | $136,656 | - |
| University of Southern California | $131,532 | $18,497 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $126,209 | $16,979 |
Other Programs at Western Carolina University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $122,811 | $36,847 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $100,807 | $28,117 |
| Computer Science | $86,853 | $27,000 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $83,954 | $26,000 |
| Engineering, General | $82,500 | $25,550 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $79,533 | $17,500 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $79,441 | $22,457 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | $78,801 | $25,250 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $77,673 | $22,818 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $77,060 | $69,085 |
Other Schools with Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Quick picks offering the same program – compare side by side
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.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.