Program Analysis
At $72,158/yr, Mechanical Engineering graduates from North Dakota State University-Main Campus land near the $70,527 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 17.9x 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 17% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $26,097 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #94 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, North Dakota State University-Main Campus scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Five-year earnings of $86,495 are relatively flat compared to the $72,158 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.