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Industrial Engineering at Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS · Public · Bachelor's Degree
61 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
62
Optimistic
61
Base Case
59
Pessimistic
Earnings $77,724/yr (5% vs median)
AI Risk High (43% exposed)
Job Market Large (60,900 openings/yr)
ROI 17.0x earnings multiple (6.7x out-of-state)
Ranked #65 of 93 Industrial Engineering programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $764K $746K $659K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.4x 17.0x 15.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.9x 6.7x 5.9x
Probability of Field Employment 68% 64% 48%
DegreeOutlook Score 62 61 59

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$43,768
Out-of-state: $111,264 (6.7x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$71,532
-63% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$24,399
3.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (4 Year)
$91,252
17% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Kansas State University's Industrial Engineering graduates start at $77,724/yr — above the $73,874 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 17.0x 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 — 43% task exposure — and the 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $24,399 in median debt clears quickly against $77,724 in annual earnings.

At #65 out of 93 programs, Kansas State University's financial outcomes for Industrial Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About Kansas State University

A 79% acceptance rate means Kansas State University is accessible to most applicants, with a mid-sized student body of 14,835 in Manhattan, KS.

See all programs and financial aid at Kansas State University →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Industrial production managers $121,440/yr
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120/yr
View all 4 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 93 schools offering Industrial Engineering →

Industrial Engineering at Other Schools

SUNY Maritime College ($91,470) Northwestern University ($89,811) Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ($87,826) University of Southern California ($87,807) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($87,226) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ($86,476) Kettering University ($85,105) North Carolina A & T State University ($83,427)

Other Majors at Kansas State University

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($78,758) Computer Engineering ($77,938) Chemical Engineering ($77,492) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($76,385) Agricultural and Food Products Processing ($76,052) Construction Engineering Technologies ($74,253) Architectural Engineering ($74,091) Mechanical Engineering ($72,627)

Explore the Trade Alternative

Compare Industrial Engineering 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 Kansas State University's Industrial Engineering program score?
A score of 61/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Kansas State University trails the majority of Industrial Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Industrial Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Industrial Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 43% 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 →