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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1419

Mechanical Engineering: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Strong payoff

+$156,235 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.

4.0 yrsModeled economic break-even

+149%Modeled 10-year ROI

$71,115Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$71,115Median reported earnings · year 4

$64,037Average reported earnings · year 5

$15,848Median federal debt

87thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

6Reporting programs

5With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $71,115
Federal debt: $15,848
Reporting programs: 6

5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $91,131
Federal debt: $24,844
Reporting programs: 326

321 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $115,231
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 84

84 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $147,335
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $140,788
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$61,244National median$71,11575th percentile$73,388

5 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Tacoma Community College$74,727 2Salt Lake Community College$73,388 3CUNY LaGuardia Community College$71,115 4Stark State College$61,244 5El Paso Community College$60,461 6Lone Star College SystemNot available

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Aerospace EngineersSOC 17-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksArchitectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 1 crosswalk linksCost EstimatorsSOC 13-1051 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 1 crosswalk linksMechanical EngineersSOC 17-2141 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	Tacoma Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Tacoma, WA	$74,727	Not available	+178%	Strong payoff
2	Salt Lake Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Salt Lake City, UT	$73,388	Not available	+159%	Strong payoff
3	CUNY LaGuardia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Long Island City, NY	$71,115	Not available	+155%	Strong payoff
4	Stark State CollegeAssociate's Degree	North Canton, OH	$61,244	Not available	+59%	Positive payoff
5	El Paso Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	El Paso, TX	$60,461	Not available	+60%	Positive payoff
6	Lone Star College SystemAssociate's Degree	The Woodlands, TX	Not available	$15,848	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$11,252

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.