Get Your Engineering Degree Online And Make Some Serious Cash!
September 2nd, 2010One of the biggest payoffs in a college degree could be for engineering majors. A National Association of Colleges and Employers Salary Survey shows that four of the five most highly paid 2010 majors were engineering degrees. There are also a wide variety of engineering majors from which can choose, allowing them to enter diverse fields. Be sure to search the internet and learn about online graduate degrees.
There are chemical, electrical, petroleum and computer engineers, for instance. Where chemical engineers work with chemical products and more from raw materials, computer engineers create computer hardware and software, in some instances for video games, the Michigan State University web site notes. Electrical engineers, on the other hand, design, develop and test electrical equipment related to aircraft motors and the like, according to the Michigan institution. Petroleum, according to the University of Texas at Austin, produce oil, gas and other resources from the earth.
These four engineering majors saw the highest starting salary offers ($59,381 to $74,799) in 2010, the Salary Survey Shows. The offers reflect an uneven supply compared to the demand, according to a news release from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Engineering degrees as a whole accounted for 5.4 percent of more than 1.5 million degrees bestowed in 2008, the organization noted. Except for chemical engineers, which saw a 1.1 percent increase in starting salaries over the previous year, others experienced 0.5 percent to 2.9 percent lower offers. Petroleum engineers saw the greatest decline. Their starting salaries in 2010 were down by 10 percent as compared with July 2009. If this interests you, then you should read more about college degrees.
There are also civil engineers who plan, design and assist in operating water resources, transportation and environmental systems and urban development, the Michigan State University web site notes. Biomedical engineers, according to North Carolina State University, solve problems related to medical care and work for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical schools and more. Biomedical engineers are expected to see the fastest employment growth into 2020-2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Civil Engineers that in 2008 held the most engineering jobs, should see the largest employment increases over the next decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes.
Most engineering careers require a bachelor’s degree at minimum, though research-oriented positions might call for graduate degrees, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes. Author and MSN Money columnist Liz Pullman Weston in 2007 came up with rough income increase estimates based on U.S. Census information, compared these estimates with the cost of a college, university or technical school education and also determined that engineering degrees were among those providing the biggest payoff. The cost of a college education depends upon whether students attend two- or four-year institutions, whether schools are private or public and the amount of financial aid that they receive, according to the College Board. Make sure you learn more about online college.
After grants and financial aid are taken into account, students might expect to pay $7,020 a year in tuition and fees at public four-year colleges in the states where they live, a College Board report shows. At public colleges outside of the states where they live, they might otherwise pay $11,528 in annual tuition and fees after scholarships and financial assistance, the College Board report notes. Private four-year institutions tend to cost more but might offer more financial incentives, with annual tuition and fees after assistance is considered at about $26,274, according to the College Board. Students who enroll in online college, university and technical school programs can save additional costs, such as room and board and commuting.
US News & World Report each year ranks America’s best colleges in different areas. The publication in 2010 includes engineering programs, breaking them down by area of study and whether institutions, all accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, extend as far as bachelor’s degrees or into doctoral programs. Institutions with doctoral programs tend to have the widest range of offerings, the publication notes. Rankings are based on scores provided by administrators and senior faculty members who are familiar with the programs, according to US News & World Report.
The Engineering Service Center provides a list of engineering scholarship opportunities on its web site. Women and minorities particularly might find tuition assistance available, as they have generally been considered underrepresented in the field, according to Oregon State University, which works to encourage these demographic groups to enroll in engineering degree programs. Scholarships, fellowships and grants for college often are awarded in instances where campus and online colleges, universities and technical schools are accredited by a nationally recognized agency listed on the US Department of Education web site.