How much do Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree graduates from Washington State University earn?

The reported median is $93,971 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

The reported median federal debt among borrowers is $21,000.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 2% above the national median for the same field and degree level.

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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree at Washington State University

Pullman, WA · 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.

$1,836 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: 22.3% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff: $77,428 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff: +104% · 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.

← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →

$0Annual price+$309,710

$15,000Current college-wide context+$249,710

$20,000Annual price+$229,710

$40,000Annual price+$149,710

$60,000Annual price+$69,710

$80,000Annual price−$10,290

$100,000Annual price−$90,290

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

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

+27%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$72,690 → $92,146

Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

249Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

288Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

271Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

$21,976Awarding-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.

753Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

117Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

371Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

370Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

6.1%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 40 non-completers

310Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion

Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$39,073Informational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$93,971$54,898 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 100 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$14,971

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

02 · BORROWING$21,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$93,971

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$223/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.

Enter my price →

AVERAGE NET PRICE$14,971Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$27,648Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE86.6%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE60.5%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.

$72,690Year 1

$93,971Year 4

$92,146Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

2.8% 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$7,831

Estimated loan payment$223

271borrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$93,971 vs. $92,135

$1,836 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$189,680 median wageWA estimate · 6,060 jobs · 11-9041$166,270–$217,070 middle 50% of WA wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 14,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeAerospace Engineers$158,370 median wageWA estimate · 5,760 jobs · 17-2011$130,560–$181,460 middle 50% of WA wages+8.3% projected U.S. growth · 3,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$119,960 median wageWA estimate · 820 jobs · 25-1032$83,730–$162,230 middle 50% of WA wages+7.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeMechanical Engineers$110,430 median wageWA estimate · 8,240 jobs · 17-2141$94,560–$139,870 middle 50% of WA wages+11.2% projected U.S. growth · 17,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCost Estimators$86,070 median wageWA estimate · 7,470 jobs · 13-1051$70,720–$108,120 middle 50% of WA wages-3.1% projected U.S. growth · 17,600 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree

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