How Much Does Electrical Engineering School Cost?
Electrical and electronics engineers are paid very well for their skill and expertise. For those who have a keen interest on electrical systems and electrical equipment, the salary is one of the draws of this career. Although the growth of the profession is not as fast compared to other careers, there are still opportunities in the field, particularly in research and development, due to the fast pace of technological innovations. Going to electrical engineering school, then, holds a lot of promise.
The cost of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering is no doubt going to be one of your primary concerns in choosing which school to go to. And it should be. The cost of tuition, fees, books and supplies for four to five years of electrical engineering school is certainly going to be expensive and if you don’t prepare for it well, you might end up not getting your degree. Aside from these costs, you also have to factor in the amounts you will spend for housing, food, transportation and your other personal expenses. These are not going to be cheap, although there are ways for you to reduce these substantially.
How much you pay for tuition and fees to obtain your electrical engineering degree will depend on whether you go to a public or private school. Public schools provide tuition fee discounts for in-state students which greatly lower your overall college costs if you attend a college or university in your state of residence. This benefit is not available in private institutions which charge the same fees to all students.
As you may have guessed, the cost of obtaining an electrical engineering degree will vary widely. The yearly expenses associated with tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board can range anywhere from $13,000 to more than $60,000 depending on where you go to school. According to data from The College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for public schools for in-state students is $8,893 while for out-of-state students, it is $22,203. Not-for-profit private schools, on the other hand, charge around $30,094 for tuition and fees. Data from The College Board also revealed that room and board costs for all students in a public four-year institution is $9,498 a year while for students attending a private institution, the cost is pegged at $10,823 a year.
One way to lessen the expenses associated with obtaining an electrical engineering degree is to look for an online program. By obtaining this degree online, you gain a lot of advantages financially. First, you can continue to work and thus have money to finance your degree at the same time. As a result, you won’t have to worry about taking out student loans just to be able to complete your degree. Second, you won’t have to worry about relocating close to the campus of electrical engineering school since you can work towards your degree anywhere. Living with mom and dad at this time will greatly reduce the costs associated with room and board.
The online electrical engineering program of Arizona State University has tuition cost of $513 per credit hour for all students and has no additional program fees. At DeVry University, the cost of tuition per credit hour for their online engineering technology-computers program is $609 for those taking 1 to 7 credit hours. For those enrolled in 8 credit hours and above, it is fixed at $365 per credit hour. Thus, the total tuition cost for 139 credit hours for this program is $80,503. Students also have to add in other fees as well as the cost for online textbook and equipment which brings the total cost for this online program at $90,533.
You can still greatly reduce the cost of going to electrical engineering school by seeking for financial aid. Talk with the financial aid office of your school to check if there are scholarships or grants that you can apply for that would bring down your college expenses. You can also inquire about work-study opportunities that would enable you to earn money to help pay for college costs.
Career Spotlight: Electrical Engineer
An electrical engineer works on and improve products that generate or are powered by electricity. For the automotive enthusiast, these include the wiring and electrical systems found in cars and airpl[...]
