Mechanical Engineeringat Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Graduates earn $68,686/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $860K; scenarios range from $731K to $905K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at OSU Cascades
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's Mechanical Engineering program produces graduates earning $68,686/yr — within striking distance of the $70,527 national average for this field.
With a 17.1x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 19% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $23,168 in median debt clears quickly against $68,686 in annual earnings.
A #141 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places Oregon State University-Cascades Campus in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 38% earnings increase from $68,686 to $94,649 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.
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 OSU Cascades'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 OSU Cascades stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at OSU Cascades
Other highest-scoring programs offered at OSU Cascades, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at OSU Cascades
What does a 72/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus?
At 72/100, this is a high-performing program. The DegreeOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.
Should I worry about AI if I study Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus?
The 53% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.