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Electrical at Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
70 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
71
Optimistic
70
Base Case
66
Pessimistic
Earnings $80,815/yr (4% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (56% exposed)
Job Market Large (54,500 openings/yr)
ROI 10.7x earnings multiple (5.1x out-of-state)
Ranked #172 of 262 Electrical programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Electrical graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $956K $908K $754K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 11.3x 10.7x 8.9x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.4x 5.1x 4.2x
Probability of Field Employment 78% 70% 48%
DegreeOutlook Score 71 70 66

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$84,744
Out-of-state: $177,504 (5.1x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$116,960
-38% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$21,500
3.2 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$103,408
28% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $80,815 track close to the $77,516 national median for Electrical programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 10.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 56% task exposure — and the 21% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $21,500 in median debt against $80,815 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #172 out of 262 programs, Colorado School of Mines's financial outcomes for Electrical trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $80,815 to $103,408 shows 28% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About Colorado School of Mines

With a 60% acceptance rate, Colorado School of Mines is moderately selective, enrolling 5,801 students in Golden, CO.

See all programs and financial aid at Colorado School of Mines →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Computer hardware engineers $155,020/yr
Aerospace engineers $134,830/yr
View all 7 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 262 schools offering Electrical →

Electrical at Other Schools

Carnegie Mellon University ($139,337) University of California-Berkeley ($137,295) Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($117,345) Cornell University ($100,516) The University of Texas at Austin ($96,997) Rice University ($96,751) National University ($93,417) Northeastern University ($92,222)

Other Majors at Colorado School of Mines

Computer Science ($86,268) Mining and Mineral Engineering ($83,309) Metallurgical Engineering ($78,984) Petroleum Engineering ($77,400) Mechanical Engineering ($74,145) Engineering Physics ($72,858) Civil Engineering ($70,301) Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering ($69,102)

Explore the Trade Alternative

Compare Electrical trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Not every career requires a four-year degree. Trade programs in related fields can offer competitive salaries with a fraction of the student loan burden.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Colorado School of Mines's Electrical program score?
A score of 70/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Colorado School of Mines trails the majority of Electrical programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Electrical to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Electrical careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 56% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →