ROI Major

Computer Engineering Technologies at Indiana State University

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer Engineering Technologies degree from Indiana State University earn a median salary of $64,402 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $71,241. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.3 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$49,561

Typical Career

$64,402

Top Performers

$90,348

Estimated break-even: 7.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$429

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,367. Most students can comfortably afford about a $429 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.6%
Educational Services 19.7%
Manufacturing 9.6%

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

$71,241

Nominal: $64,402 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

7.3 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 $31,098 $48,121 $63,496
5 Years After Graduation $49,561 $64,402 $90,348
10 Years After Graduation $53,578 $74,872 $103,697

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 $64,402 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $64,402 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $71,241 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Computer Engineering Technologies program at Indiana State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $48,121, which increases to $64,402 after five years and reaches $74,872 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary equivalent nationally is $71,241.15, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Indiana.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with the top industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (21.6%), Educational Services (19.7%), and Manufacturing (9.6%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 7.3 years, suggesting that the investment in education yields a favorable return over time. Overall, the data indicates that pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering Technologies can lead to substantial long-term financial benefits and career stability.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Computer Engineering Technologies degree at Indiana 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.

Explore More