Systems Engineeringat University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Graduates earn $81,785/yr in their first year — about 9.0% above the national Systems Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $787K; scenarios range from $667K to $818K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UIUC
Systems Engineering at UIUC places you in a highly specialized field, leveraging the university's formidable engineering reputation. This program trains you to design, integrate, and manage complex projects across their entire lifecycle, a critical skill set in demand across defense, aerospace, tech, and even large-scale infrastructure. You're not just learning technical skills; you're developing the strategic thinking and interdisciplinary coordination that drives major initiatives, often leading to managerial or architectural positions. While AI risk appears high, this typically means the field will evolve to incorporate AI tools, requiring you to manage and leverage these sophisticated systems, rather than being replaced by them. To maximize your unique position, focus heavily on internships and interdisciplinary capstone projects; demonstrating real-world problem-solving and project leadership will be paramount.
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 UIUC'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 Systems Engineering
How UIUC stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UIUC
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UIUC, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Systems Engineering at UIUC
What does a 59/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Systems Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
At 59/100, the score looks reasonable — but Systems Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.
Should I worry about AI if I study Systems Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The 56% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.