Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree outcomes at Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS · Public · Federal field 1419

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$3,602 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
28.2% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
$63,833 / year
10-year scenario
+69% · Positive payoff
Price evidence
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$88,533 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.

+24%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$72,627$89,754
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
51Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
73Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
200Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
$21,327Awarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 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.

449Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
65Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
177Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
277Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,058Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$88,533$54,475 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 53 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.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$19,406

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

02 · BORROWING$25,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$88,533

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$265/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$19,406Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$27,402Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE81.7%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE71.1%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.

$72,627Year 1
$88,533Year 4
$89,754Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

3.6% 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$7,378
Estimated loan payment$265
200borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$88,533 vs. $92,135

$3,602 below 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$160,150 median wageKS estimate · 2,010 jobs · 11-9041+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 14.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeAerospace Engineers$130,330 median wageKS estimate · 1,730 jobs · 17-2011+8.3% projected U.S. growth · 3.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$115,160 median wageKS estimate · 280 jobs · 25-1032+7.8% projected U.S. growth · 3.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeMechanical Engineers$86,260 median wageKS estimate · 4,630 jobs · 17-2141+11.2% projected U.S. growth · 17.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCost Estimators$76,250 median wageKS estimate · 2,250 jobs · 13-1051-3.1% projected U.S. growth · 17.6k 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.

Wichita, KS

Wichita State University

$541 higher earnings · $3,342 less debt · $6,212 lower annual net price

Earnings
$89,074
Debt
$21,658
Annual net price
$13,194
View outcomes →
Lawrence, KS

University of Kansas

$2,500 less debt · $1,347 lower annual net price

Earnings
$82,934
Debt
$22,500
Annual net price
$18,059
View outcomes →
Berkeley, CA

University of California, Berkeley

$30,838 higher earnings · $11,800 less debt · $5,925 lower annual net price

Earnings
$119,371
Debt
$13,200
Annual net price
$13,481
View outcomes →
Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University

$21,677 higher earnings · $14,250 less debt · $597 lower annual net price

Earnings
$110,210
Debt
$10,750
Annual net price
$18,809
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

73 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.

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