Home Schools Liberty University Mechanical Engineering
Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #309 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat Liberty University

Graduates earn $65,794/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $678K; scenarios range from $602K to $701K depending on AI disruption.

Lynchburg, VA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
52 AVERAGE
54
Optimistic
50
Pessimistic
Earnings
$65,794
1-year post-graduation
ROI
6.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$678K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Liberty University

First-year earnings of $65,794 track close to the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

A 8.0x earnings multiple over ten years puts this program in solid financial territory. Tuition is well-justified by projected earnings.

The 14% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.

At $27,000 in median debt against $65,794 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

A #309 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places Liberty University in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.

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
$602K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple7.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$678K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple8.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$701K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple8.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Liberty University'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 Liberty University 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 Liberty University

Other top programs at Liberty University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Liberty University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Liberty University

What does a 52/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Mechanical Engineering at Liberty University?

At 52/100, the score looks reasonable — but Mechanical Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.

Should I worry about AI if I study Mechanical Engineering at Liberty University?

The 53% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.