Home Schools University of Portland Mechanical Engineering
Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #258 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat University of Portland

Graduates earn $76,909/yr in their first year — about 9.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $815K; scenarios range from $699K to $854K depending on AI disruption.

Portland, OR Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
60 SOLID
62
Optimistic
57
Pessimistic
Earnings
$76,909
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.2x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$815K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Portland

First-year earnings of $76,909 at University of Portland come in 9% above the national median of $70,527 for Mechanical Engineering programs.

The 3.7x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $76,909 far exceeding the $23,681 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #258 out of 320 programs, University of Portland's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth is modest: $76,909 to $91,884 over five years (19% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.

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
$699K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple3.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$815K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple3.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$854K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple3.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at University of Portland

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of Portland

How does University of Portland's Mechanical Engineering program score?

A score of 60/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Portland trails the majority of Mechanical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Mechanical Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Mechanical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 53% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.