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Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #265 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat University of St Thomas

Graduates earn $68,440/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $840K; scenarios range from $717K to $882K depending on AI disruption.

Saint Paul, MN Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
59 SOLID
61
Optimistic
57
Pessimistic
Earnings
$68,440
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.4x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$840K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of St Thomas

At $68,440/yr, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of St Thomas land near the $70,527 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 4.0x 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 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $27,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

At #265 out of 320 programs, University of St Thomas's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $68,440 to $92,439 shows 35% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$717K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$840K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple4.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$882K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple4.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at University of St Thomas

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of St Thomas

How does University of St Thomas's Mechanical Engineering program score?

A score of 59/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of St Thomas 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.