Mechanical Engineeringat Washington State University
Graduates earn $72,690/yr in their first year — about 3.0% above the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $826K; scenarios range from $707K to $866K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Washington State University
Washington State University's Mechanical Engineering program produces graduates earning $72,690/yr — within striking distance of the $70,527 national average for this field.
The 15.9x 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 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $18,836 in median debt clears quickly against $72,690 in annual earnings.
Ranked #137 out of 320 programs, Washington State University's Mechanical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $72,690 to $92,146 shows 27% 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 Washington State 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 Washington State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Washington State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Washington State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University
How does Washington State University's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Washington State University'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.