MAJORS · 100 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a general engineering degree worth it?
Part of Engineering — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$933,320. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$933,320
across 58 bachelor’s programs · 4,213 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$896K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$800K ⟷ +$1.06M
NEVER BREAK EVEN
0%
MEDIAN PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE
27
Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$678K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$126K
Questions
- Is a general engineering degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 58 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for General Engineering is +$933,320 and the median is +$896,222. 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 +$800,072 and +$1,055,226.
- How long until a general engineering degree pays off?
- For General Engineering, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 27. 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 general engineering major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of General Engineering graduates span +$800,072 to +$1,055,226 — a +$255K 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). “General Engineering: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/general-engineering