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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1419

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

National picture across 84 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$115,231 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$115,231Median year-4 earnings

$20,100Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$115,231Median reported earnings · year 4

$115,051Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

80thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

84Reporting programs

84With 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.

OPEN PROFILE

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 →CURRENT VIEW

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$107,173National median$115,23175th percentile$127,603

84 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Massachusetts Institute of Technology$200,732 2Santa Clara University$170,120 3Stanford University$167,632 4University of California, Berkeley$147,475 5Duke University$139,868 6University of Southern California$139,101 7University of New Mexico-Main Campus$138,833 8University of California, Los Angeles$138,803 9California State University, Long Beach$138,465 10Columbia University in the City of New York$137,970

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. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree	Cambridge, MA	$200,732	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,111
2	Santa Clara UniversityMaster's Degree	Santa Clara, CA	$170,120	Not available	Baseline needed	$50,062
3	Stanford UniversityMaster's Degree	Stanford, CA	$167,632	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,807
4	University of California, BerkeleyMaster's Degree	Berkeley, CA	$147,475	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,481
5	Duke UniversityMaster's Degree	Durham, NC	$139,868	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,612
6	University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$139,101	Not available	Baseline needed	$32,740
7	University of New Mexico-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Albuquerque, NM	$138,833	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,489
8	University of California, Los AngelesMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$138,803	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,548
9	California State University, Long BeachMaster's Degree	Long Beach, CA	$138,465	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,440
10	Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$137,970	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,590
11	Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMaster's Degree	Rolla, MO	$135,171	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,298
12	Purdue University-Main CampusMaster's Degree	West Lafayette, IN	$133,021	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,600
13	Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster's Degree	Baltimore, MD	$132,861	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,809
14	University of Washington-Seattle CampusMaster's Degree	Seattle, WA	$132,097	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,091
15	Oakland UniversityMaster's Degree	Rochester Hills, MI	$130,141	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,120
16	California State University, FullertonMaster's Degree	Fullerton, CA	$129,073	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,555
17	Villanova UniversityMaster's Degree	Villanova, PA	$128,221	Not available	Baseline needed	$43,756
18	Cornell UniversityMaster's Degree	Ithaca, NY	$128,130	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,690
19	University of California, San DiegoMaster's Degree	La Jolla, CA	$128,129	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,470
20	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoMaster's Degree	San Luis Obispo, CA	$127,908	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,665
21	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMaster's Degree	Champaign, IL	$127,773	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,355
22	Carnegie Mellon UniversityMaster's Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$127,603	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,944
23	Ohio State University-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Columbus, OH	$126,887	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,339
24	University of HoustonMaster's Degree	Houston, TX	$125,271	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,276
25	Northeastern UniversityMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$124,007	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,915
26	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Atlanta, GA	$123,205	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,116
27	California State Polytechnic University-PomonaMaster's Degree	Pomona, CA	$123,084	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,531
28	University of California, DavisMaster's Degree	Davis, CA	$121,768	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,741
29	Drexel UniversityMaster's Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$121,560	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,509
30	University of Michigan-Ann ArborMaster's Degree	Ann Arbor, MI	$120,648	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,138
31	Oregon State UniversityMaster's Degree	Corvallis, OR	$119,847	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,604
32	Oregon State University-Cascades CampusMaster's Degree	Bend, OR	$119,847	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,048
33	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityMaster's Degree	Blacksburg, VA	$119,843	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,953
34	University of Michigan-DearbornMaster's Degree	Dearborn, MI	$119,691	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,492
35	Worcester Polytechnic InstituteMaster's Degree	Worcester, MA	$117,441	Not available	Baseline needed	$43,071
36	University of Massachusetts-LowellMaster's Degree	Lowell, MA	$117,288	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,163
37	Boston UniversityMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$117,154	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,402
38	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusMaster's Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$116,951	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,434
39	University of New Hampshire-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Durham, NH	$116,426	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,805
40	University of Colorado BoulderMaster's Degree	Boulder, CO	$115,960	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,346
41	Colorado State University-Fort CollinsMaster's Degree	Fort Collins, CO	$115,946	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,279
42	North Carolina State University at RaleighMaster's Degree	Raleigh, NC	$115,376	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,303
43	Colorado School of MinesMaster's Degree	Golden, CO	$115,085	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,690
44	Washington University in St LouisMaster's Degree	St. Louis, MO	$115,029	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,786
45	Wayne State UniversityMaster's Degree	Detroit, MI	$114,758	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,766
46	Florida State UniversityMaster's Degree	Tallahassee, FL	$113,967	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,297
47	University of Wisconsin-MadisonMaster's Degree	Madison, WI	$113,710	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,354
48	Marquette UniversityMaster's Degree	Milwaukee, WI	$112,901	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,487
49	Syracuse UniversityMaster's Degree	Syracuse, NY	$112,673	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,793
50	University of Cincinnati-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Cincinnati, OH	$112,569	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,648
51	The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleMaster's Degree	Knoxville, TN	$112,342	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,976
52	University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMaster's Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$112,217	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,778
53	Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree	College Station, TX	$111,472	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,315
54	University of FloridaMaster's Degree	Gainesville, FL	$109,893	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,541
55	Rochester Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree	Rochester, NY	$109,087	Not available	Baseline needed	$34,906
56	Stevens Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree	Hoboken, NJ	$108,955	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,346
57	Michigan Technological UniversityMaster's Degree	Houghton, MI	$108,453	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,182
58	University of St ThomasMaster's Degree	Saint Paul, MN	$107,807	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,155
59	Clarkson UniversityMaster's Degree	Potsdam, NY	$107,611	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,305
60	Utah State UniversityMaster's Degree	Logan, UT	$107,544	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,936
61	The University of Texas at El PasoMaster's Degree	El Paso, TX	$107,441	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,403
62	Northern Illinois UniversityMaster's Degree	Dekalb, IL	$107,338	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,391
63	Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree	Tempe, AZ	$107,325	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,967
64	Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteMaster's Degree	Troy, NY	$107,173	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,228
65	Portland State UniversityMaster's Degree	Portland, OR	$107,077	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,552
66	University of California, RiversideMaster's Degree	Riverside, CA	$106,742	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,304
67	Cleveland State UniversityMaster's Degree	Cleveland, OH	$106,560	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,764
68	University of UtahMaster's Degree	Salt Lake City, UT	$106,317	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,200
69	Iowa State UniversityMaster's Degree	Ames, IA	$106,245	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,589
70	New Jersey Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree	Newark, NJ	$105,200	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,504
71	University of LouisvilleMaster's Degree	Louisville, KY	$105,037	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,988
72	Stony Brook UniversityMaster's Degree	Stony Brook, NY	$104,470	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,784
73	University of Central FloridaMaster's Degree	Orlando, FL	$104,337	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,411
74	The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyMaster's Degree	Edinburg, TX	$103,803	Not available	Baseline needed	$4,831
75	Brigham Young UniversityMaster's Degree	Provo, UT	$103,427	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,564
76	University of Virginia-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Charlottesville, VA	$103,192	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,565
77	Indiana University-IndianapolisMaster's Degree	Indianapolis, IN	$103,070	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,668
78	Clemson UniversityMaster's Degree	Clemson, SC	$102,636	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,253
79	The University of Texas at ArlingtonMaster's Degree	Arlington, TX	$101,894	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,951
80	Binghamton UniversityMaster's Degree	Vestal, NY	$101,600	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,620
81	Illinois Institute of TechnologyMaster's Degree	Chicago, IL	$101,412	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,425
82	Wright State University-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Dayton, OH	$100,393	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,415
83	University at BuffaloMaster's Degree	Buffalo, NY	$96,497	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,995
84	Rensselaer at HartfordMaster's Degree	,	$107,173	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available

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.