University Ranks High On List of Colleges Where Engineering Grads Earn the Most

University Ranks High On List of Colleges!

Earning an engineering degree at the University of Hartford pays. That’s the word from Business Insider magazine, which just published its list of “colleges where engineering students go on to make the most money.” The University’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) ranks #14 on the list right alongside MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, and Cooper Union. According to the article, the early career median pay for UHart engineering majors is $61,900. Mid-career professionals from CETA earn a median salary of $130,000. (See the full list and read more about Business Insider’s methodology.)

“The high ranking in this nationwide survey is a credit to our accomplished alumni and the faculty and staff who prepared them so well,” says CETA Dean Lou Manzione. “We emphasize career readiness and hold many events where our students engage with our partner companies. This helps them to launch into their careers, realize early success, and sustain that success through solid understanding of the profession.”

CETA engineering students begin gaining real-world experience right away. They work on projects requested by companies such as Otis Elevator, Pratt & Whitney, and Medtronic, as well as government agencies like NASA. Putting skills learned in the classroom to practice on real projects often gives them an edge over other job applicants.

“One of the things we are trying to instill in our students is that it’s not just about getting a degree,” explains David Pines, CETA assistant dean for student support and a professor of civil and environmental engineering. “It’s also about what you do with the degree and starting your professional career. We want them to think about their careers.”

Kimberly Colavito, who graduated last spring and is currently working toward her Master of Science with a focus on structural engineering, is just one of Pines’s students who is benefitting from this philosophy.

“CETA has done an amazing job preparing me for a job upon graduation,” she says. “Because of CETA's connections, among various other reasons, I have received several employment offers but had to turn them down since I am currently attending graduate school. I had an internship this past summer at General Dynamics Electric Boat and have received an offer for employment upon graduation next year.”

This ranking is also a good indicator for Connecticut’s economy. Because the engineering job market is much better here than in their home states, many CETA graduates stay in the state and spend their earnings here.

“We are an importer of talent into Connecticut,” Manzione says. “Connecticut firms benefit from that, but clearly our graduates do as well, quickly rising up to leadership roles in their organizations.”

CETA is prepared to continue to provide talented workers to the region for the foreseeable future. Professor Pines recently appeared on WFSB-TV to discuss CETA graduates being ready to fill some of the 8,000 jobs that Pratt & Whitney will soon bring to the state. Watch the story:



UNOTES - 9/30/16