Mechanical Engineeringat California State University-Long Beach
Graduates earn $60,996/yr in their first year — about 14.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $923K; scenarios range from $776K to $975K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at CSU Long Beach
California State University-Long Beach's Mechanical Engineering program produces graduates earning $60,996/yr — within striking distance of the $70,527 national average for this field.
The 32.9x 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 20% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $16,616 in median debt clears quickly against $60,996 in annual earnings.
Ranked #74 out of 320 programs, California State University-Long Beach's Mechanical Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
Earnings growth from $60,996 to $97,895 over five years (60% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to CSU Long Beach's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Mechanical Engineering
How CSU Long Beach stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at CSU Long Beach
Other highest-scoring programs offered at CSU Long Beach, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at CSU Long Beach
How does California State University-Long Beach's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 73/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. California State University-Long Beach'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.
Why does California State University-Long Beach rank so high for Mechanical Engineering?
The #74 ranking out of 320 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.