Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics · Penn State College of Engineering

Six figures, four years out.

$100,176

Median annual earnings of Penn State Engineering Science graduates four years after completing their bachelor's degree — per the U.S. Department of Education's newest program-level earnings data.

The engineering degree for students who want it all

Engineering Science is Penn State's honors program of the College of Engineering. Instead of specializing at 18, students build a deep foundation in the mathematics and physics that underlie every branch of engineering — then apply it through a required undergraduate research thesis. Graduates leave fluent across disciplines, and the market rewards that range.

Ahead of the national pack — in almost every field

Measured against what engineering graduates earn nationwide, Penn State Engineering Science graduates out-earn the national median for nearly every traditional engineering field — not just their own. Median earnings four years after completion:

Computer Engineering $105,525 Penn State Eng Science $100,176 Electrical Engineering $98,697 Chemical Engineering $97,324 Aerospace Engineering $96,959 Mechanical Engineering $91,131 Engineering Science (all U.S.) $90,246 Civil Engineering $85,239 Penn State Engineering Science vs. national medians by field · bachelor's programs, 4 years after completion (2024 dollars)

A top-three program nationally

Only 16 Engineering Science programs in the country had enough graduates to appear in the federal data. Penn State's ranks third in graduate earnings — $10,000 ahead of the national median for the field:

1Dartmouth College$113,749
2Arizona State University$101,127
3The Pennsylvania State University$100,176
4Rutgers University–New Brunswick$91,309
5Hofstra University$90,246

Where the breadth takes them

Because Engineering Science students master fundamentals rather than a single track, they move into the high-growth, interdisciplinary fields where frontier salaries live:

Semiconductors & microelectronics Chip design, fabrication, and materials for an industry rebuilding on U.S. soil
Photonics & optics Lasers, sensing, and communications — a Penn State research strength
Aerospace & defense R&D National labs, defense contractors, and advanced research roles
Nanotechnology & materials Next-generation materials, from biomedical devices to energy storage
Quantitative & data-driven roles The math-heavy foundation opens doors in analytics, modeling, and finance
Top graduate programs The research thesis makes graduates standout candidates for PhD and MS admission

Why it works

"Engineering Science students don't pick a lane — they learn the physics and math that underlie every lane. That breadth is exactly what employers in semiconductors, photonics, and R&D are paying a premium for."

"Every one of our students completes an undergraduate research thesis. They graduate having already done the job, not just studied for it."

"I came in not knowing whether I wanted aerospace, materials, or nanotech. Engineering Science meant I didn't have to choose at 18 — and by graduation I was fluent in all three."

Top three in the nation. Six-figure median earnings. One small, close-knit honors program.

The degree pays — by every federal measure

Under the earnings accountability tests created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, every program is compared against what a typical high school graduate in its state earns. Penn State Engineering Science clears that bar by a wide margin.

+$64,902more per year than the median Pennsylvania high school graduate ($35,274 benchmark)
Top 6%of all 24,936 bachelor's programs nationwide by graduate earnings
Top 10of 103 Penn State bachelor's programs — and $29K above the university-wide median of $71,001
Passesthe federal earnings test, with no repayment-based aid restrictions under OBBBA

For parents: what these numbers mean

These aren't projections or self-reported alumni surveys. They come from actual federal earnings records, matched to real graduates four years after they finished the degree, published by the U.S. Department of Education.

At a median of $100,176 within four years, a typical Engineering Science graduate earns back the full in-state cost of a Penn State degree in roughly a year of work — and the honors structure means your student does it in small classes, working directly with faculty on real research from day one.