Mechanical Engineeringat University of South Florida
Graduates earn $70,046/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $823K; scenarios range from $705K to $863K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of South Florida
At $70,046/yr, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of South Florida land near the $70,527 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
The 32.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The median debt load of $22,586 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
A #18 ranking out of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs nationally puts University of South Florida in the top 10% — a strong but not elite position.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $70,046 to $91,161 shows 30% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
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 South Florida'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 South Florida stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of South Florida
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of South Florida, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of South Florida
How does University of South Florida's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 75/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of South Florida's Mechanical Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
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.