Mechanical Engineeringat University of West Florida
Graduates earn $58,548/yr in their first year — about 17.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $619K; scenarios range from $560K to $635K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of West Florida
Starting salaries of $58,548/yr fall 17% below the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 24.3x 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 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $16,285 in median debt against $58,548 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
At #247 out of 320 programs, University of West Florida's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
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 West 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 West Florida stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of West Florida
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of West Florida, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of West Florida
How does University of West Florida's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 60/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of West Florida 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.
Why are Mechanical Engineering earnings lower at University of West Florida?
Lower starting pay at University of West Florida may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.