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Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #30 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Graduates earn $75,146/yr in their first year — about 7.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $840K; scenarios range from $717K to $882K depending on AI disruption.

Tempe, AZ Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
74 STRONG
75
Optimistic
71
Pessimistic
Earnings
$75,146
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$840K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Arizona State

At $75,146 per year, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Arizona State University Campus Immersion earn slightly above the $70,527 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

The 17.4x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $18,974 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

A #30 ranking out of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs nationally puts Arizona State University Campus Immersion in the top 10% — a strong but not elite position.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $75,146 to $94,295 shows 25% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$717K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple14.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$840K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple17.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$882K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple18.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Arizona State's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Mechanical Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Aerospace engineers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 4,500 openings/yr
$134,830/yr
High
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Mechanical engineers
+9.1% 10-yr growth · 18,100 openings/yr
$102,320/yr
High
5
Cost estimators
-4.2% 10-yr growth · 16,900 openings/yr
$77,070/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Mechanical Engineering

How Arizona State stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California State University Maritime Academy
CA · Public
79
DW Score
$92K
1-yr earn
36.4x
ROI
Duke University
NC · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
3.8x
ROI
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
76
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
17.9x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
64
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
3.3x
ROI
Princeton University
NJ · Private nonprofit
52
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
2.6x
ROI
Also at Arizona State

Other top programs at Arizona State

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Arizona State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State

How does Arizona State University Campus Immersion's Mechanical Engineering program score?

A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Arizona State University Campus Immersion's Mechanical Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Mechanical Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Mechanical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 53% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.