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Engineering, General at Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL · Public · Bachelor's Degree
63 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
63
Optimistic
63
Base Case
59
Pessimistic
Earnings $66,112/yr (-4% vs median)
AI Risk High (46% exposed)
Job Market Medium (27,900 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $758K $649K $501K
Earnings Multiple 12.7x 10.9x 8.4x
Viable Career Paths 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3
DegreeWorth Score 63 63 59

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition
$59,808

Career Paths

Where Engineering, General graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 27,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%

Compare & Explore

Engineering, General at Other Schools

Franklin W Olin College of Engineering ($109,455) Harvey Mudd College ($92,491) Brown University ($86,416) University of California-Davis ($82,956) Wentworth Institute of Technology ($78,211) Lafayette College ($76,507) McNeese State University ($75,566) Michigan State University ($75,058)

Other Majors at Western Illinois University

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($74,490) Construction Management ($70,789) Engineering Technology, General ($64,762) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($62,578) Accounting and Related Services ($49,900) Agriculture, General ($48,509) Human Resources Management and Services ($47,467) Special Education and Teaching ($46,729)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Engineering, General at Western Illinois University?
This program scores 63/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 63 (optimistic) to 59 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Engineering, General career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Engineering, General graduates retain 3 of 3 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $501,175 (pessimistic) to $757,899 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Engineering, General graduates?
The career paths mapped to Engineering, General have roughly 27,900 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Engineering, General at Western Illinois University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 10.9x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 8.4x. 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.