<p>I understand, but surely you must agree that those no-name engineering programs also have plenty of students who have low GPA's. Yet when it comes to compiling average starting salaries, those no-name programs look pretty darn good. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that GPA and internship experience play a role in determining what specific job a person can get on the micro level. However, what I am saying is that even on the macro level, looks like there is only a relatively small difference in salary between going to a elite and non-elite engineering program. Hence - salary compression.</p>