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Engineering Physics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public · Bachelor's Degree
65 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
69
Optimistic
65
Base Case
56
Pessimistic
Earnings $64,304/yr (7% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (52% exposed)
Job Market Large (38,100 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Engineering Physics graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $1,252K $770K $463K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 19.6x 12.0x 7.2x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.1x 5.6x 3.4x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 5 5 of 5 4 of 5
DegreeWorth Score 69 65 56

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$64,016
Out-of-state: $138,004
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,136
3.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$109,155
70% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Engineering Physics graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 38,100 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Physicists $166,290 1,700 +4.0% 75%
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%

Compare & Explore

Engineering Physics at Other Schools

Colorado School of Mines ($72,858) University of Wisconsin-Platteville ($68,379) Murray State University ($58,025) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach ($56,889) Delaware State University ($54,210) Augustana College ($54,165) Stephen F Austin State University ($52,715)

Other Majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Computer Science ($124,530) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($113,503) Mathematics and Computer Science ($109,843) Computer Engineering ($103,123) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($86,483) Systems Engineering ($81,785) Nuclear Engineering ($81,134) Mechanical Engineering ($80,187)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Engineering Physics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
This program scores 65/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 69 (optimistic) to 56 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Engineering Physics career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Engineering Physics graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $462,760 (pessimistic) to $1,252,190 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Engineering Physics graduates?
The career paths mapped to Engineering Physics have roughly 38,100 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Engineering Physics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 12.0x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 7.2x. 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.