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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree at California State University, Sacramento

Sacramento, CA · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$1,743 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
20.7% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
$77,195 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
+125% · Strong payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$93,878 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+37%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$66,462 → $91,357
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
152Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
172Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
185Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
$17,202Awarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

749Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
99Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
530Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
187Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
6.2%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 39 non-completers
169Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,082Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$93,878$57,796 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 27 Parent PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$9,338

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$19,399

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$93,878

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$206/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$9,338Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$22,945Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE94.0%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE56.3%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$66,462Year 1
$93,878Year 4
$91,357Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

2.6% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$7,823
Estimated loan payment$206
185borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$93,878 vs. $92,135

$1,743 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$210,280 median wageCA estimate · 29,630 jobs · 11-9041$169,140–$251,890 middle 50% of CA wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 14,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeAerospace Engineers$157,620 median wageCA estimate · 9,170 jobs · 17-2011$129,010–$193,060 middle 50% of CA wages+8.3% projected U.S. growth · 3,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$137,280 median wageCA estimate · 2,720 jobs · 25-1032$104,920–$189,630 middle 50% of CA wages+7.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeMechanical Engineers$130,900 median wageCA estimate · 30,530 jobs · 17-2141$102,360–$166,580 middle 50% of CA wages+11.2% projected U.S. growth · 17,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCost Estimators$85,460 median wageCA estimate · 26,020 jobs · 13-1051$65,690–$118,060 middle 50% of CA wages-3.1% projected U.S. growth · 17,600 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Northridge, CA

California State University, Northridge

$5,338 higher earnings · $1,399 less debt · $2,317 lower annual net price

Earnings
$99,216
Debt
$18,000
Annual net price
$7,021
View outcomes →
Berkeley, CA

University of California, Berkeley

$25,493 higher earnings · $6,199 less debt

Earnings
$119,371
Debt
$13,200
Annual net price
$13,481
View outcomes →
Los Angeles, CA

University of California, Los Angeles

$14,997 higher earnings · $2,399 less debt

Earnings
$108,875
Debt
$17,000
Annual net price
$12,548
View outcomes →
Los Angeles, CA

University of Southern California

$10,771 higher earnings · $1,899 less debt

Earnings
$104,649
Debt
$17,500
Annual net price
$32,740
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

172 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →