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Engineering · Computer Engineering Rank #108 of 174

Computer Engineeringat University of Utah

Graduates earn $89,605/yr in their first year — about 14.0% above the national Computer Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $890K; scenarios range from $695K to $940K depending on AI disruption.

Salt Lake City, UT Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
74 STRONG
75
Optimistic
67
Pessimistic
Earnings
$89,605
1-year post-graduation
ROI
23.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$890K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
62% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Utah

University of Utah's Computer Engineering graduates start at $89,605/yr — above the $78,694 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 23.9x 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 26% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $18,970 in median debt clears quickly against $89,605 in annual earnings.

At #108 out of 174 programs, University of Utah'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
$695K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple18.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$890K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple23.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$940K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple25.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Utah'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 University of Utah 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 University of Utah

Other top programs at University of Utah

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Utah, 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 University of Utah

How does University of Utah's Computer Engineering program score?

A score of 74/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Utah 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.