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DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1419

Mechanical Engineering: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

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

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$147,335Median reported earnings · year 4

$122,443Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

88thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting programs

3With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $71,115
Federal debt: $15,848
Reporting programs: 6

5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $91,131
Federal debt: $24,844
Reporting programs: 326

321 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $115,231
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 84

84 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $147,335
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $140,788
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Stanford University$218,808 2University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$147,335 3University of Florida$106,068

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Aerospace EngineersSOC 17-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksArchitectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 1 crosswalk linksCost EstimatorsSOC 13-1051 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 1 crosswalk linksMechanical EngineersSOC 17-2141 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Stanford UniversityDoctoral Degree	Stanford, CA	$218,808	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,807
2	University of Michigan-Ann ArborDoctoral Degree	Ann Arbor, MI	$147,335	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,138
3	University of FloridaDoctoral Degree	Gainesville, FL	$106,068	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,541

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.