Mechanical Engineeringat Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Graduates earn $87,590/yr in their first year — about 24.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $926K; scenarios range from $778K to $979K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering's Mechanical Engineering graduates start at $87,590/yr — above the $70,527 national average, though not by a wide margin.
The 3.6x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.
AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 21% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At #219 out of 320 programs, Franklin W Olin College of Engineering's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $87,590 to $106,657 shows 22% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable 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 Franklin W Olin College of Engineering'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 Franklin W Olin College of Engineering stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
How does Franklin W Olin College of Engineering's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 63/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Franklin W Olin College of Engineering trails the majority of Mechanical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
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.
How affordable is Mechanical Engineering at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering after financial aid?
Sticker price is $257,832, but the average net cost is $82,300 — a 68% discount. For students who qualify for aid, this program is considerably more affordable than it appears.