Mechanical Engineeringat University of Notre Dame
Graduates earn $84,999/yr in their first year — about 21.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $836K; scenarios range from $714K to $878K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Notre Dame
Your Notre Dame Mechanical Engineering degree benefits immensely from the university's elite reputation and profoundly dedicated alumni network, which acts as a powerful career launchpad. The rigorous curriculum emphasizes foundational design principles alongside cutting-edge research opportunities, preparing you not just for a job, but for leadership in the field. Graduates consistently find strong pipelines into aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing with industry leaders, as well as high-impact roles in consulting and defense. While engineering faces evolving automation, the program's focus on critical thinking and complex problem-solving ensures you're equipped to innovate, rather than be replaced. To truly capitalize on this, actively leverage the Notre Dame network for internships and mentorships, focusing on areas like robotics or sustainable design where your skills will be most in demand.
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 University of Notre Dame'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 University of Notre Dame stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Notre Dame
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Notre Dame, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of Notre Dame
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Mechanical Engineering at University of Notre Dame?
This program scores 61/100 — 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 $714,086 in decade earnings vs $877,735 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Is University of Notre Dame a hidden gem for Mechanical Engineering?
After financial aid, the average student pays $111,292 over four years — 56% below the $250,772 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.