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Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #55 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat Ohio University-Southern Campus

Graduates earn $69,161/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $789K; scenarios range from $681K to $825K depending on AI disruption.

Ironton, OH Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
74 STRONG
76
Optimistic
72
Pessimistic
Earnings
$69,161
1-year post-graduation
ROI
34.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$789K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Ohio University-Southern Campus

Graduates earn $69,161/yr, roughly in line with the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 31.9x 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 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $69,161 far exceeding the $26,216 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #55 out of 320 programs, Ohio University-Southern Campus's Mechanical Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $69,161 to $87,293 shows 26% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$681K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple27.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$789K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple31.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$825K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score76/100
Earnings Multiple33.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Ohio University-Southern Campus

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Ohio University-Southern Campus, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Ohio University-Southern Campus

How does Ohio University-Southern Campus's Mechanical Engineering program score?

A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Ohio University-Southern 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 University-Southern Campus rank so high for Mechanical Engineering?

The #55 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.