U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 194 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 30% 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 $23,316. College Scorecard.
Indiana University-Indianapolis 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 Indiana University-Indianapolis'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 | $5,701 | $24,742 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,995 | $26,018 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,038 | $47,905 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $18,056 | $78,363 | 1.5 years |
| $110k+ | $20,680 | $89,751 | 1.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (39% 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 ($88,960) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $53,426 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana 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 | Purdue University | $102,572 | $19,937 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 2 | University of Notre Dame | $99,859 | $19,000 | $26,780 | 95% |
| 3 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | $95,983 | $25,612 | $42,513 | 78% |
| 4 | Purdue University Northwest | $91,229 | $25,250 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 5 | Valparaiso University | $90,583 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| 6 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $88,960 | $26,450 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 7 | Trine University | $86,997 | $27,000 | $25,355 | 64% |
| 8 | University of Evansville | $85,851 | $25,010 | $18,499 | 64% |
| 9 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $85,075 | — | $13,171 | 36% |
5 more Indiana 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 Indiana University-Indianapolis, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Indiana University-Indianapolis
- Acceptance rate: 76% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 54% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $55,198
- Full cost breakdown · all 78 majors · overview
Related majors at Indiana University-Indianapolis
- Electrical Engineering$97,841
- Engineering—
Indiana University-Indianapolis Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do Indiana University-Indianapolis Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis earn a median $88,960 four years after graduating and $69,746 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do Indiana University-Indianapolis Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis is $26,450, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is Indiana University-Indianapolis a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Indiana?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis earn $88,960 four years out, $1,623 below the median for the same major across 9 Indiana colleges ($90,583) and $2,230 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Indiana University-Indianapolis rank for Mechanical Engineering in Indiana?
Of 9 Indiana colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Indiana University-Indianapolis ranks 6th. The highest is Purdue University at $102,572.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $98,680 in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 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: “Indiana University-Indianapolis Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/indiana-university-indianapolis/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).