Mechanical Engineeringat Santa Clara University
Graduates earn $81,865/yr in their first year — about 16.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,053K; scenarios range from $868K to $1,121K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Santa Clara University
At $81,865 per year, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Santa Clara University earn slightly above the $70,527 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.
An earnings multiple of 4.4x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.
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 23% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $19,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
Ranked #204 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, Santa Clara University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $81,865 to $118,350 over five years — a 45% 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Santa Clara University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Santa Clara University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University?
This program scores 65/100 — 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 $868,043 in decade earnings vs $1,120,941 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.