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Systems Engineering at Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, MA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
62 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
63
Optimistic
62
Base Case
58
Pessimistic
Earnings $79,942/yr (6% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (56% exposed)
Job Market Large (57,100 openings/yr)
ROI 17.9x earnings multiple (8.1x out-of-state)
Ranked #6 of 11 Systems Engineering programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $803K $773K $658K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.6x 17.9x 15.2x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.4x 8.1x 6.9x
Probability of Field Employment 73% 66% 45%
DegreeOutlook Score 63 62 58

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$43,264
Out-of-state: $95,640 (8.1x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$106,644
-146% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$27,000
4.1 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $79,942/yr, edging above the $75,193 national average for Systems Engineering — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

The 17.9x 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 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $27,000 in median debt against $79,942 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #6 out of 11 programs, Massachusetts Maritime Academy's financial outcomes for Systems Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Massachusetts Maritime Academy has a 95% acceptance rate, making it broadly accessible, a compact campus enrolling 1,270 students in Buzzards Bay, MA.

See all programs and financial aid at Massachusetts Maritime Academy →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Database architects $135,980/yr
Engineers, all other $117,750/yr
View all 5 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 11 schools offering Systems Engineering →

Systems Engineering at Other Schools

University of Virginia-Main Campus ($91,178) University of Florida ($85,698) George Mason University ($84,942) Washington University in St Louis ($83,874) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($81,785) University of Arizona ($76,660) University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($68,034) Otterbein University ($63,243)

Other Majors at Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering ($100,024) Marine Transportation ($84,187) Engineering, Other ($77,421) International Business ($54,741) Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($50,931)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Massachusetts Maritime Academy's Systems Engineering program score?
A score of 62/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Massachusetts Maritime Academy trails the majority of Systems Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Systems Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Systems Engineering 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 →