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Engineering · Engineering Science Rank #4 of 7

Engineering Scienceat University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Graduates earn $64,405/yr in their first year — about 13.0% below the national Engineering Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $657K; scenarios range from $593K to $673K depending on AI disruption.

Albuquerque, NM Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
58 SOLID
59
Optimistic
56
Pessimistic
Earnings
$64,405
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.8x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$657K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of New Mexico

Your Engineering Science degree from UNM offers a versatile foundation, often allowing you to tailor your studies across various engineering disciplines. This broadness can be a strength, preparing you for diverse roles like those in project management or R&D, particularly within New Mexico's unique ecosystem of national labs like Sandia and Los Alamos, and major employers such as Intel or defense contractors. However, the regional labor market, while stable, typically offers different compensation benchmarks compared to the national average, especially when considering higher-paying coastal tech hubs.

The program's inherent flexibility also means you'll need to proactively define your specialization. Given the high AI risk associated with many analytical and data-driven tasks, focus on developing advanced problem-solving, interdisciplinary project leadership, and complex systems design skills. Actively pursue internships or research opportunities to build a portfolio demonstrating applied expertise in a specific, in-demand niche, ensuring your broad education translates into a competitive edge upon graduation.

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
$593K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple18.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$657K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple20.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$673K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple20.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of New Mexico's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Engineering Science 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
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/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 Engineering Science

How University of New Mexico stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Dartmouth College
NH · Private nonprofit
59
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
2.8x
ROI
Vanderbilt University
TN · Private nonprofit
60
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
3.3x
ROI
Trinity University
TX · Private nonprofit
47
DW Score
$74K
1-yr earn
2.6x
ROI
Yale University
CT · Private nonprofit
46
DW Score
$73K
1-yr earn
1.8x
ROI
Top score
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
NJ · Public
69
DW Score
$69K
1-yr earn
15.5x
ROI
Also at University of New Mexico

Other top programs at University of New Mexico

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of New Mexico, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Engineering Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Engineering Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Engineering Science at University of New Mexico

How does University of New Mexico-Main Campus's Engineering Science program score?

A score of 58/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of New Mexico-Main Campus trails the majority of Engineering Science programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Engineering Science to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Engineering Science careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 46% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.