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Engineering · Computer Engineering Rank #131 of 174

Computer Engineeringat North Dakota State University-Main Campus

Graduates earn $76,558/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Computer Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $779K; scenarios range from $631K to $815K depending on AI disruption.

Fargo, ND Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
71 STRONG
72
Optimistic
64
Pessimistic
Earnings
$76,558
1-year post-graduation
ROI
16.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$779K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
62% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at North Dakota State

North Dakota State University-Main Campus's Computer Engineering program produces graduates earning $76,558/yr — within striking distance of the $78,694 national average for this field.

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 — 71% task exposure — and the 23% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $21,500 in median debt clears quickly against $76,558 in annual earnings.

At #131 out of 174 programs, North Dakota State University-Main Campus's financial outcomes for Computer 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
$631K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple14.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$779K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple17.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$815K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple18.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Computer 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
Database architects
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 4,000 openings/yr
$135,980/yr
Very High
4
Software developers
+15.8% 10-yr growth · 115,200 openings/yr
$133,080/yr
Very High
5
Computer network architects
+11.9% 10-yr growth · 11,200 openings/yr
$130,390/yr
High
6
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 Computer Engineering

How North Dakota State stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
WA · Public
88
DW Score
$142K
1-yr earn
43.2x
ROI
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
WA · Public
88
DW Score
$142K
1-yr earn
43.5x
ROI
University of Virginia-Main Campus
VA · Public
84
DW Score
$118K
1-yr earn
15.6x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
87
DW Score
$112K
1-yr earn
32.0x
ROI
Duke University
NC · Private nonprofit
76
DW Score
$111K
1-yr earn
5.6x
ROI
Also at North Dakota State

Other top programs at North Dakota State

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

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Computer Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Computer Engineering at North Dakota State

How does North Dakota State University-Main Campus's Computer Engineering program score?

A score of 71/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but North Dakota State University-Main Campus trails the majority of Computer Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Computer Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Computer Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 71% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.