ROI Major

Architectural Engineering Technologies at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Architectural Engineering Technologies degree from Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis earn a median salary of $81,000 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $89,602. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.8 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$65,534

Typical Career

$81,000

Top Performers

$97,626

Estimated break-even: 4.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$540

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,750. Most students can comfortably afford about a $540 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 25.6%
Educational Services 12.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.8%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$89,602

Nominal: $81,000 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).

4.8 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 $49,777 $62,681 $76,858
5 Years After Graduation $65,534 $81,000 $97,626
10 Years After Graduation $77,327 $96,661 $122,840

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 $81,000 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)
= $81,000 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $89,602 National Average equivalent.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Architectural Engineering Technologies degree at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.