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Engineering · Electrical Engineering Rank #57 of 262

Electrical Engineeringat North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Graduates earn $77,687/yr in their first year — right at the national average. Base-case 10-year earnings $864K; scenarios range from $723K to $907K depending on AI disruption.

Raleigh, NC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
75 STRONG
77
Optimistic
72
Pessimistic
Earnings
$77,687
1-year post-graduation
ROI
26.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$864K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
58% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at NC State

Graduates earn $77,687/yr, roughly in line with the $77,516 national median for Electrical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 24.3x 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 20% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $77,687 far exceeding the $23,500 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #57 out of 262 programs, North Carolina State University at Raleigh's Electrical Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $77,687 to $97,818 shows 26% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$723K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple20.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$864K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple24.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$907K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score77/100
Earnings Multiple25.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Electrical 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
Computer hardware engineers
+7.3% 10-yr growth · 4,700 openings/yr
$155,020/yr
Very High
3
Aerospace engineers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 4,500 openings/yr
$134,830/yr
High
4
Electronics engineers, except computer
+6.2% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$127,590/yr
High
5
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
6
Electrical engineers
+7.2% 10-yr growth · 11,700 openings/yr
$111,910/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 Electrical Engineering

How NC State stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$139K
1-yr earn
6.2x
ROI
Top score
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
79
DW Score
$137K
1-yr earn
39.5x
ROI
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private nonprofit
68
DW Score
$117K
1-yr earn
6.9x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$101K
1-yr earn
4.0x
ROI
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
77
DW Score
$97K
1-yr earn
25.4x
ROI
Also at NC State

Other top programs at NC State

Other highest-scoring programs offered at NC State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Electrical Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Electrical Engineering at NC State

How does North Carolina State University at Raleigh's Electrical Engineering program score?

A score of 75/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. North Carolina State University at Raleigh's Electrical Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Electrical Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Electrical 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.

Why does North Carolina State University at Raleigh rank so high for Electrical Engineering?

The #57 ranking out of 262 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.