As the title says, I'm considering double majoring in physics and electrical engineering. For context, I'm a high school senior going into physics with a good amount of dual enrollment credits. I should finish the senior-level physics sequence at my college in my first year. I will already qualify for a minor in math because the last required courses are part of my degree in physics.
The thing which I want to do is physics research, at least at this current point in my life. However, it's my understanding that an undergraduate degree in physics is not very useful for getting employed and is mainly to prepare you for graduate school. I'm not sure I want to be trapped in a position where I need to get into a graduate program in order to make use of my degree. Hence, my desire to double major in electrical engineering. That leads me to my main dilemma.
There is very little direct overlap in the electrical engineering degree and the physics degree at my school, meaning with the exception of the math courses I'd have no other relevant coursework. That ends out being about 80-90 of just engineering credit hours. That is by no means undoable, but it would mean that my ability to do elective/graduate physics courses would be severely hindered. It's my understanding that a lot of electrical engineering is very useful for experimental physics, so it's not like I'd be wasting time or effort, but I'm not sure whether it would be the most efficient use of my course freedom. It's also a subject I think is really cool, so I don't think I'd be miserable studying it. That said, it's definitely not my main passion.
Alternatively, I could go for just physics (or physics + math, without much trouble) and take 70+ credits worth of graduate level and/or elective coursework (assuming the department lets me, which I believe they will). I would also be able to do some more advanced lab work in the department and potentially finish the required coursework for a M.S degree even if that doesn't transfer. The program I'm in funds summer research for all 4 years, and the department can fund research during the fall/spring semesters as well, so I shouldn't be scarce in opportunity.
I guess my question is this: which of the two options I have would you take and why?
One other thing, I have good relations with the professors at my dual enrollment university, which is an R1 university. A couple professors in the department actually wrote me letters of recommendation for college. Would you say that would help later down the line if I apply to the college for graduate school?