Engineering-Related Fields at California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
80
Optimistic
79
Base Case
74
Pessimistic
Earnings
$69,042/yr (-0% vs median)
AI Risk
High (38% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (111,400 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Engineering-Related Fields graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $982K | $754K | $555K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 30.4x | 23.4x | 17.2x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 12.3x | 9.5x | 7.0x |
| Viable Career Paths | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 80 | 79 | 74 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$32,256
Out-of-state: $79,776
Median Debt at Graduation
$17,500
3.0 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$92,561
34% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Engineering-Related Fields graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 111,400 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $167,740 | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% |
| Industrial production managers | $121,440 | 17,100 | +1.9% | 34% |
| Engineers, all other | $117,750 | 9,300 | +2.1% | 46% |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $106,120 | 4,100 | +8.1% | 50% |
| Facilities managers | $104,690 | 13,200 | +3.8% | 48% |
| Industrial engineers | $101,140 | 25,200 | +11.0% | 48% |
| Commercial and industrial designers | $79,450 | 2,500 | +3.2% | 47% |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $78,490 | 13,500 | +1.8% | 0% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Engineering-Related Fields at California State University-Chico?
This program scores 79/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 80 (optimistic) to 74 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Engineering-Related Fields career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Engineering-Related Fields graduates retain 10 of 10 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $555,071 (pessimistic) to $981,570 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Engineering-Related Fields graduates?
The career paths mapped to Engineering-Related Fields have roughly 111,400 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Engineering-Related Fields at California State University-Chico worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 23.4x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 17.2x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.