Industrial Engineering at Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Bachelor's Degree · about 62 graduates a year

$89,811
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$138,720
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$98,442
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#1 of 94
Rank by pay
#1 of 94
Rank, wage-adjusted
$18,000
Median federal debt

Northwestern University graduates in industrial engineering earn 41% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 13% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Northwestern University Compares for Industrial Engineering

All 94 colleges reporting industrial engineering earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Northwestern University Evanston, IL$138,720$136,291#1$89,811
2Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA$128,003$132,509#2$87,826
3Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA$121,498$123,565#4$81,142
4University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI$117,930$124,343#3$86,476
5Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA$116,641$106,212#24$82,437
6California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA$112,797$102,638#34$87,226
7University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$112,150$102,049#39$87,807
8University of Connecticut Storrs, CT$111,672$100,540#42$77,692
9University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT$111,672$100,540#43$77,692
10University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT$111,672$100,540#44$77,692

Other Majors at Northwestern University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Information Science/Studies$163,740$102,998#1 of 148
Computer Science$155,106$99,981#28 of 349
Applied Mathematics$148,740$94,684#4 of 45
Economics$126,006$84,932#21 of 368
Statistics$122,682$77,917#7 of 50
Chemical Engineering$111,040$80,709#12 of 158
Human Resources Management and Services$108,498$82,255#2 of 187
Mathematics$107,072$79,530#19 of 309
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$102,994$68,592#19 of 118
Mechanical Engineering$98,277$75,253#49 of 318
Manufacturing Engineering$97,819—#1 of 15
Communication and Media Studies$93,541$52,210#2 of 660
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$93,180—#7 of 476
Community Organization and Advocacy$84,712$61,009#1 of 24
Journalism$80,258$50,426#3 of 187
History$78,966$50,161#13 of 459
Public Policy Analysis$78,752$48,558#9 of 34
Sociology$75,267$38,402#8 of 462
International Relations and National Security Studies$74,477$58,326#30 of 118
Psychology$73,646$44,088#14 of 1027
Political Science and Government$73,231$54,737#89 of 565
Biology$71,181—#82 of 841
Psychology$62,905$36,890#3 of 9
English Language and Literature$62,147$31,748#39 of 576
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$59,372$39,012#15 of 103
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$54,279$35,334#56 of 67
Music$53,875$34,823#37 of 268
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$51,471$24,611#65 of 158
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$49,316$19,245#17 of 255
Public Health—$39,956—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Northwestern University industrial engineering graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $89,811 one year after graduating and $138,720 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Northwestern University rank for industrial engineering?

Among 94 colleges reporting earnings for industrial engineering graduates, Northwestern University ranks #1 by median pay four years after graduation, and #1 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is industrial engineering at Northwestern University worth it?

Its graduates earn 41% more than the national median for industrial engineering ($98,442), and the median federal debt at graduation is $18,000.

← All data for Northwestern University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.