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Engineering · Engineering Rank #45 of 47

Engineeringat Lafayette College

Graduates earn $76,507/yr in their first year — about 11.0% above the national Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $734K; scenarios range from $649K to $756K depending on AI disruption.

Easton, PA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
46 AVERAGE
47
Optimistic
44
Pessimistic
Earnings
$76,507
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.1x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$734K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Lafayette College

At $76,507 per year, Engineering graduates from Lafayette College earn slightly above the $69,222 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

An earnings multiple of 2.9x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 46% task exposure — and the 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At #45 out of 47 programs, Lafayette College's financial outcomes for Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$649K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score44/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$734K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score46/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$756K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score47/100
Earnings Multiple3.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Lafayette College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Engineering

How Lafayette College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
MA · Private nonprofit
63
DW Score
$109K
1-yr earn
4.0x
ROI
Harvey Mudd College
CA · Private nonprofit
62
DW Score
$92K
1-yr earn
3.7x
ROI
Brown University
RI · Private nonprofit
60
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
3.3x
ROI
Top score
University of California-Davis
CA · Public
72
DW Score
$83K
1-yr earn
19.5x
ROI
McNeese State University
LA · Public
72
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
28.4x
ROI
Also at Lafayette College

Other top programs at Lafayette College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Lafayette College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Engineering offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Engineering at Lafayette College

How does Lafayette College's Engineering program score?

This program scores 46/100 — on the lower end for Engineering. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

How vulnerable is Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 46% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.