U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 117 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 14% 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 $88,140. College Scorecard.
Cornell University 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 Cornell University'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 | $1,776 | $7,282 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,070 | $16,687 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $6,796 | $27,864 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $14,311 | $58,675 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $49,992 | $204,967 | 2.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (87% 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 ($112,212) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $77,579 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 New York colleges
Every New York 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 | Cornell University | $112,212 | $15,500 | $28,690 | 95% |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $111,491 | $16,960 | $21,590 | 96% |
| 3 | SUNY Maritime College | $106,932 | $26,000 | $22,367 | 64% |
| 4 | Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technologybachelor's & associate | $103,254 | $27,000 | $39,986 | 39% |
| 5 | CUNY City College | $97,270 | $13,232 | $3,776 | 57% |
| 6 | University of Rochester | $95,060 | $21,000 | $29,278 | 85% |
| 7 | Hofstra University | $94,744 | $22,500 | $34,176 | 69% |
| 8 | Rochester Institute of Technology | $93,065 | $27,000 | $34,906 | 70% |
| 9 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $92,952 | $25,000 | $36,228 | 84% |
| 10 | Manhattan University | $92,802 | $27,000 | $27,256 | 64% |
| 11 | New York University | $91,821 | $21,140 | $37,050 | 88% |
| 12 | Stony Brook University | $91,650 | $20,008 | $18,784 | 76% |
| 13 | Syracuse University | $91,438 | $27,000 | $38,793 | 84% |
| 14 | Clarkson University | $90,286 | $27,000 | $30,305 | 75% |
| 15 | New York Institute of Technology | $89,966 | $27,225 | $22,443 | 59% |
| 16 | Binghamton University | $89,650 | $19,500 | $21,620 | 82% |
| 17 | State University of New York at New Paltz | $89,504 | $24,000 | $18,809 | 72% |
| 18 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | $87,788 | $26,471 | $14,164 | 55% |
| 19 | Union College | $85,427 | $27,000 | $34,561 | 80% |
| 20 | University at Buffalo | $84,602 | $23,944 | $20,995 | 75% |
| 21 | Alfred University | $79,452 | $27,000 | $25,620 | 57% |
3 more New York 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 Cornell University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Cornell University
- Acceptance rate: 9% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 95% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $104,043
- Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview
Related majors at Cornell University
- Electrical Engineering$147,241
- Civil Engineering$91,242
- Engineering$128,207
- Environmental Engineering$103,016
Cornell University Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do Cornell University Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Cornell University earn a median $112,212 four years after graduating and $85,440 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do Cornell University Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Cornell University is $15,500, about 14% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is Cornell University a good school for Mechanical Engineering in New York?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Cornell University earn $112,212 four years out, $20,391 above the median for the same major across 21 New York colleges ($91,821) and $21,022 above the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Cornell University rank for Mechanical Engineering in New York?
Of 21 New York colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Cornell University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $99,990 in the Ithaca, NY 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: “Cornell University Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cornell-university/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).