Mechanical Engineeringat University of California-Santa Barbara
Graduates earn $81,108/yr in their first year — about 15.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $885K; scenarios range from $749K to $933K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Santa Barbara
At $81,108 per year, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of California-Santa Barbara earn slightly above the $70,527 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.
With a 14.8x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 20% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
The median debt load of $15,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
University of California-Santa Barbara ranks #34 among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, placing it in the top 5% nationally by our financial outcomes measure.
A 24% earnings increase from $81,108 to $100,669 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 UC Santa Barbara'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 UC Santa Barbara stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Santa Barbara
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Santa Barbara, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara
What does a 74/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Mechanical Engineering at University of California-Santa Barbara?
At 74/100, 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 University of California-Santa Barbara?
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.
Is University of California-Santa Barbara one of the best schools for Mechanical Engineering?
Among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, University of California-Santa Barbara's #34 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.