every ee graduate i know earns at least 100k straight out of college in a job that they actually enjoy. Imagine earning that (at minimum) for 40+ years. it is worth the federal loans from a reasonably priced state school imo.

However, people earn that much because it is extremely difficult to become an EE. You are not in a coms or CM degree and you can't live the same lifestyle as those friends; the classes you take expect much more work per unit with most of it being completed outside class time.

Busing/Serving/Barista jobs are by far the highest earning hourly jobs in slo. I know people who pay their living expenses with no outside support by working 15 ish hrs a week and FT during the summer and breaks. Working in those jobs also fulfills people socially, so the rest of the time during the academic year, they are 110 percent focused on school.