Mechanical Engineeringat Marquette University
Graduates earn $73,049/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $782K; scenarios range from $676K to $817K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Marquette University
First-year earnings of $73,049 track close to the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 4.0x 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 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $26,500 in median debt against $73,049 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
At #278 out of 320 programs, Marquette University's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth is modest: $73,049 to $87,345 over five years (20% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
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 Marquette University'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 Marquette University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Marquette University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Marquette University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University
How does Marquette University's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 59/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Marquette University 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.