Home Schools University of Michigan-Flint Mechanical Engineering
Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #169 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat University of Michigan-Flint

Graduates earn $74,974/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $745K; scenarios range from $650K to $776K depending on AI disruption.

Flint, MI Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
70 STRONG
71
Optimistic
67
Pessimistic
Earnings
$74,974
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$745K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Michigan-Flint

At $74,974 per year, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Michigan-Flint earn slightly above the $70,527 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 13.3x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Mechanical Engineering programs nationally.

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 16% gap from the optimistic case.

The median debt load of $31,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #169 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs, University of Michigan-Flint falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $83,494 are relatively flat compared to the $74,974 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.

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
$650K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple11.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$745K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple13.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$776K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple13.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Michigan-Flint'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 University of Michigan-Flint 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 University of Michigan-Flint

Other top programs at University of Michigan-Flint

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Michigan-Flint, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan-Flint

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan-Flint?

This program scores 70/100 — 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 $649,503 in decade earnings vs $775,708 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.