Mechanical Engineeringat Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Graduates earn $69,454/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $800K; scenarios range from $688K to $837K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
First-year earnings of $69,454 track close to the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
With a 15.1x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 18% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
At $19,500 in median debt against $69,454 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
A #145 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 27% earnings increase from $69,454 to $88,465 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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale'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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
What does a 71/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale?
At 71/100, 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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale?
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.