US courses that land handsome pay cheque

Job seekers attend a job fair at the College of Engineering at the University of the Philippines in Manila on January 16, 2014.

By  ANTONY KARANJA

What you need to know:

List of top 10 highest annual pay for 2013 graduates:

  • Petroleum Engineering $97,000 (Sh8, 245, 000)
  • Computer Engineering $70,900 (Ksh6, 026,500)
  • Chemical Engineering $67,500 (Ksh5, 737,500)
  • Computer Science $64,700 (Ksh5, 499, 500)
  • Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering $64,500 (Ksh5, 482, 500)
  • Mechanical Engineering $64,500 (Ksh5, 482, 500)
  • Electrical/Electronics and Communications Engineering $63,000 (Ksh5, 355, 000)
  • Engineering Technology $61,500 (Ksh5, 227, 500)
  • Management Information Systems/Business $60,700 (Ksh5, 159, 500)
  • Logistics/Materials Management $59,800 (Ksh5, 083, 000)

Kenyans who intend to study in the US and have a passion for engineering may not be disappointed after they graduate.

The jobs are in high demand and the pay is worth looking forward to while in the four year educational sojourn.

According to the January 2014 Survey of the National Association of Colleges and Students, a new graduate in the field of Petroleum Engineering earned an average starting salary of $97,000 (KSh8,245,000) a year.

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Computer Engineering is second at $70,900 (KSh6, 026,500) for a new graduate.

The gap between Petroleum Engineering and the second highest earner for the class of 2013 is $27,000 (KSh2,295,000) a year.

POPULAR PROGRAM

Chemical Engineering follows at $67,500 (KSh5, 737,500). However, these high paying jobs come at a steep cost.

According to the US Department of Education 2012-2013 IPEDS survey, the average annual out of state cost for a Bachelor programme in Petroleum Engineering is $31,488 (KSh2,676,480) with an estimated four year degree total cost of $125,952 (KSh10,705,920).

Texas A & M University College Station awards approximately 135 degrees per year making it the most popular Bachelor programme for Petroleum Engineering in the US.

Annual out-of-state cost for Chemical Engineering averages $38,839 (KSh3, 301,315) with an estimated four year degree total cost of $155,356 (Ksh13, 205, 260).

The most popular Bachelor programme for this course is University of Michigan Ann Arbor which awards about 142 degrees per year.

AVERAGE COST

For a two year Chemical Engineering study programme (associates degree), the average annual cost is $18,089 (KSh1, 537,565) with an average two year total programme cost of $36,178 KSh3, 075,130.

Average annual out of state costs for a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Software Engineering is about $33,540 (KSh2, 850,900) coming in at a cost of $134,160 (Ksh11, 403,600) for the entire programme.

DeVry University in California is the most popular Bachelor's programme for Computer Software Engineering with 94 degrees awarded per year.

A two year programme in Computer Software Engineering averages at $20,920 (KSh1, 778, 200) per year with a total cost of $41,840 (Ksh3, 556, 400) for the entire programme.

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