Mechanical Engineeringat Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Graduates earn $60,720/yr in their first year — about 14.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $831K; scenarios range from $711K to $872K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Graduates earn $60,720/yr, roughly in line with the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 16.1x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Mechanical Engineering programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Mechanical Engineering's typical career paths, with 53% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 19% gap from the optimistic case.
With first-year pay of $60,720 far exceeding the $25,708 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #185 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, Colorado State University-Fort Collins falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $60,720 to $89,087 over five years — a 47% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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 Colorado State University-Fort Collins'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 Colorado State University-Fort Collins stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
This program scores 69/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Mechanical Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
Will AI replace Mechanical Engineering careers?
With 53% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $710,697 in decade earnings vs $872,374 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.