U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 73 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 27% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,876.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $22,808. College Scorecard.
ATU Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Mechanical Engineering nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses ATU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,426 | $53,556 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $11,165 | $48,121 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $13,130 | $56,590 | 1.1 years |
| $75–110k | $14,675 | $63,249 | 1.2 years |
| $110k+ | $15,543 | $66,990 | 1.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($85,509) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $53,110 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Mechanical Engineering at Arkansas colleges
Every Arkansas college we cover that reports Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State University | $91,665 | — | $12,366 | 55% |
| 2 | Arkansas Tech Universitymostly 2-year | $85,509 | $22,970 | $12,970 | 49% |
| 3 | University of Arkansas | $84,464 | $23,014 | $18,209 | 71% |
| 4 | Harding University | $73,601 | $27,000 | $22,130 | 69% |
2 more Arkansas colleges offer Mechanical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates
Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +11.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Cost Estimators
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at ATU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About ATU
- Acceptance rate: 96% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 49% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $41,766
- Full cost breakdown · all 50 majors · overview
Related majors at ATU
- Electrical Engineering$89,951
ATU Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do ATU Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median $85,509 four years after graduating and $68,765 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do ATU Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Arkansas Tech University is $22,970, about 27% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is ATU a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Arkansas?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn $85,509 four years out, $523 above the median for the same major across 4 Arkansas colleges ($84,986) and $5,681 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does ATU rank for Mechanical Engineering in Arkansas?
Of 4 Arkansas colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Arkansas Tech University ranks 2nd. The highest is Arkansas State University at $91,665.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $80,180 in Arkansas and $104,110 nationally. Others include cost estimators and architectural and engineering managers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Arkansas Tech University Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/arkansas-tech-university/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).