MAJORS · 114 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI

Is a computer engineering degree worth it?

Part of Engineering — see the whole category’s numbers.

On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$1,325,051. But the spread is the real story.

MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED

+$1,325,051

across 185 bachelor’s programs · 13,163 graduates

MEDIAN GRADUATE

+$1.28M

MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN

+$1.13M ⟷ +$1.48M

NEVER BREAK EVEN

0%

MEDIAN PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE

26

Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.

ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES

+$971K

IF YOU DROP OUT

−$118K

Questions

Is a computer engineering degree worth it?
On average yes — across 185 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Computer Engineering is +$1,325,051 and the median is +$1,283,447. 0% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$1,127,694 and +$1,477,200.
How long until a computer engineering degree pays off?
For Computer Engineering, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 26. 0% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. FREOPP 2021.
Does the school matter for a computer engineering major?
Enormously. The middle 50% of Computer Engineering graduates span +$1,127,694 to +$1,477,200 — a +$350K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.

↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Computer Engineering: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/computer-engineering