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Engineering · Industrial Engineering Rank #92 of 93

Industrial Engineeringat University of San Diego

Graduates earn $80,644/yr in their first year — about 9.0% above the national Industrial Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $768K; scenarios range from $674K to $786K depending on AI disruption.

San Diego, CA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
50 AVERAGE
51
Optimistic
48
Pessimistic
Earnings
$80,644
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.6x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$768K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of San Diego

University of San Diego's Industrial Engineering graduates start at $80,644/yr — above the $73,874 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 3.4x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 43% task exposure — and the 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At #92 out of 93 programs, University of San Diego's financial outcomes for Industrial 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
$674K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple3.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$768K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$786K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score51/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Industrial 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
Industrial production managers
+1.9% 10-yr growth · 17,100 openings/yr
$121,440/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Industrial engineers
+11.0% 10-yr growth · 25,200 openings/yr
$101,140/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Industrial Engineering

How University of San Diego stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
SUNY Maritime College
NY · Public
78
DW Score
$91K
1-yr earn
35.1x
ROI
Northwestern University
IL · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
4.2x
ROI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
77
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
24.2x
ROI
Same state (CA)
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
4.0x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
77
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
26.3x
ROI
Also at University of San Diego

Other top programs at University of San Diego

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of San Diego, 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 →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Industrial Engineering at University of San Diego

How does University of San Diego's Industrial Engineering program score?

A score of 50/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of San Diego trails the majority of Industrial Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

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.