Mechanical Engineeringat Midwestern State University
Graduates earn $56,371/yr in their first year — about 20.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $717K; scenarios range from $630K to $745K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Midwestern State University
First-year earnings of $56,371 place Midwestern State University below the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering — worth weighing against tuition and cost of living.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 17.4x 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 15% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $31,000 represents roughly 7 months of the $56,371 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #200 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, Midwestern State University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $56,371 to $76,173 over five years — a 35% 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 Midwestern State 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 Midwestern State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Midwestern State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Midwestern State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Midwestern State University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Mechanical Engineering at Midwestern State University?
This program scores 67/100 — 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 $629,769 in decade earnings vs $744,531 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Mechanical Engineering from Midwestern State University?
First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.