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Engineering · Electrical Engineering Rank #204 of 262

Electrical Engineeringat Western Washington University

Graduates earn $77,516/yr in their first year — right at the national average. Base-case 10-year earnings $771K; scenarios range from $660K to $803K depending on AI disruption.

Bellingham, WA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
63 SOLID
64
Optimistic
59
Pessimistic
Earnings
$77,516
1-year post-graduation
ROI
19.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$771K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
58% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Western Washington University

First-year earnings of $77,516 track close to the $77,516 national median for Electrical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 20.8x 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 — 56% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $24,000 in median debt against $77,516 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #204 out of 262 programs, Western Washington University's financial outcomes for Electrical 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
$660K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple17.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$771K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score63/100
Earnings Multiple20.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$803K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple21.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Electrical 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
Aerospace engineers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 4,500 openings/yr
$134,830/yr
High
4
Electronics engineers, except computer
+6.2% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$127,590/yr
High
5
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
6
Electrical engineers
+7.2% 10-yr growth · 11,700 openings/yr
$111,910/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 Electrical Engineering

How Western Washington University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$139K
1-yr earn
6.2x
ROI
Top score
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
79
DW Score
$137K
1-yr earn
39.5x
ROI
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private nonprofit
68
DW Score
$117K
1-yr earn
6.9x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$101K
1-yr earn
4.0x
ROI
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
77
DW Score
$97K
1-yr earn
25.4x
ROI
Also at Western Washington University

Other top programs at Western Washington University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Western Washington University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Electrical Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Electrical Engineering at Western Washington University

How does Western Washington University's Electrical Engineering program score?

A score of 63/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Western Washington University trails the majority of Electrical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Electrical Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Electrical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 56% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.