U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 19% 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 $32,265. College Scorecard.
Mechanical Engineering at California colleges
Every California college we cover that reports Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University Maritime Academy | $126,395 | $19,690 | $20,555 | 60% |
| 2 | Santa Clara University | $122,111 | $19,500 | $50,062 | 88% |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | $119,371 | $13,200 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 4 | Stanford University | $117,072 | — | $13,807 | 92% |
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles | $108,875 | $17,000 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 6 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $106,750 | $20,500 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 7 | California Baptist University | $105,046 | $27,000 | $26,285 | 62% |
| 8 | University of Southern California | $104,649 | $17,500 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $104,336 | $15,908 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 10 | University of California-San Diego | $104,229 | $20,000 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 11 | University of California-Davis | $102,161 | $15,000 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 12 | San Francisco State University | $102,104 | $22,047 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 13 | University of the Pacific | $99,573 | $28,596 | $25,447 | 69% |
| 14 | California State University-Northridge | $99,216 | $18,000 | $7,021 | 57% |
| 15 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $99,148 | $17,455 | $11,531 | 68% |
| 16 | University of California-Irvine | $99,111 | $14,500 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 17 | San Diego State University | $97,825 | $19,994 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 18 | Loyola Marymount University | $96,226 | $21,000 | $48,381 | 79% |
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach | $95,957 | $17,653 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 20 | University of California-Merced | $95,040 | $18,500 | $11,983 | 69% |
| 21 | California State University-Sacramento | $93,878 | $19,399 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 22 | University of California-Riverside | $93,721 | $21,000 | $14,304 | 76% |
| 23 | California State University-Chico | $93,555 | $24,354 | $14,480 | 63% |
| 24 | California State University-Los Angeles | $93,028 | $13,000 | $3,967 | 53% |
| 25 | University of San Diego | $91,848 | $26,093 | $30,365 | 84% |
| 26 | California State University-Fresno | $88,002 | $17,533 | $7,000 | 57% |
| 27 | California State University-Fullerton | $86,808 | $19,040 | $6,555 | 70% |
2 more California 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 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Acceptance rate: 31% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 86% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $90,768
- Full cost breakdown · all 77 majors · overview
Related majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Electrical Engineering$125,240
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$107,498
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Civil Engineering$101,072
- Engineering—
- Industrial Engineering$112,797
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo earn a median $106,750 four years after graduating and $83,011 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $20,500, about 19% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Where does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo rank for Mechanical Engineering in California?
Of 27 California colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 6th. The highest is California State University Maritime Academy at $126,395.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $102,270 in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA area 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: “California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).