Industrial Engineeringat North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Graduates earn $68,873/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Industrial Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $744K; scenarios range from $657K to $761K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at North Dakota State
Graduates earn $68,873/yr, roughly in line with the $73,874 national median for Industrial Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The 17.1x 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.
With first-year pay of $68,873 far exceeding the $25,625 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #42 out of 93 programs, North Dakota State University-Main Campus's Industrial Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $68,873 to $85,379 shows 24% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
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.
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.
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.
Peer schools offering Industrial Engineering
How North Dakota State stacks up against other schools offering this major.
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 Industrial Engineering offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Industrial Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Industrial Engineering at North Dakota State
How does North Dakota State University-Main Campus's Industrial Engineering program score?
A score of 70/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. North Dakota State University-Main Campus's Industrial Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
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.