Mechanical Engineeringat Ohio State University-Main Campus
Graduates earn $79,359/yr in their first year — about 13.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $841K; scenarios range from $717K to $883K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Ohio State
First-year earnings of $79,359 at Ohio State University-Main Campus come in 13% above the national median of $70,527 for Mechanical Engineering programs.
The 16.3x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $79,359 far exceeding the $19,932 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #52 out of 320 programs, Ohio State University-Main Campus's Mechanical Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $79,359 to $95,293 shows 20% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary 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 Ohio State'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 Ohio State stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Ohio State
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Ohio State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State
How does Ohio State University-Main Campus's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Ohio State University-Main Campus's Mechanical Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
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.
Why does Ohio State University-Main Campus rank so high for Mechanical Engineering?
The #52 ranking out of 320 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.