Program Analysis
Graduates earn $69,746/yr, roughly in line with the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
With a 18.9x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 18% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
With first-year pay of $69,746 far exceeding the $20,921 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
A #115 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places Indiana University-Indianapolis in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 26% earnings increase from $69,746 to $87,604 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.