Mechanical Engineeringat Virginia Commonwealth University
Graduates earn $73,355/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $783K; scenarios range from $676K to $818K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Virginia Commonwealth University
At $73,355/yr, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University land near the $70,527 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
The 11.9x 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 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The median debt load of $22,220 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #190 out of 320 programs, Virginia Commonwealth University's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth is modest: $73,355 to $87,500 over five years (19% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
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 Virginia Commonwealth University'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 Virginia Commonwealth University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Virginia Commonwealth University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Commonwealth University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University
How does Virginia Commonwealth University's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 69/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Virginia Commonwealth University 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.