DOCTORAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 3 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$147,335 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$147,335Median year-4 earnings
$11,162Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$147,335Typical earnings four years after completion
$122,443Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
88thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
100Degrees awarded in 2024–25
3College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Mechanical Engineering
How much do Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree graduates earn?
The national median is $147,335 four years after completion across reportable doctoral degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $106,068 to $147,335 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Mechanical Engineering?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,115
- Federal debt
- $15,848
- Programs in the comparison
- 6
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $91,131
- Federal debt
- $24,844
- Programs in the comparison
- 326
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $115,231
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 84
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $147,335
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $140,788
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$106,068National median$147,33575th percentile$147,335
3 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
3 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 3 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Stanford University$218,8082University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$147,3353University of Florida$106,068Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →13%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 median wage220,260 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 14,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$120,810–$262,760 typical wage rangeAerospace Engineers$134,960 median wage67,710 jobs nationwide+8.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$86,700–$205,890 typical wage rangeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$109,270 median wage40,270 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$61,550–$210,370 typical wage rangeMechanical Engineers$104,110 median wage296,810 jobs nationwide+11.2% projected growth through 2035 · 17,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$73,990–$164,340 typical wage rangeCost Estimators$78,740 median wage224,220 jobs nationwide-3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 17,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,530–$130,820 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.