U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 122 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 9% 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 $82,730. College Scorecard.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology'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 | $0 | $0 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $93 | $387 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $1,480 | $6,157 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $11,555 | $48,069 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $48,479 | $201,673 | 2.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (82% 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 ($131,967) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $92,087 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 Massachusetts colleges
Every Massachusetts 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 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $131,967 | $11,334 | $20,111 | 96% |
| 2 | Northeastern University | $103,384 | $25,893 | $30,915 | 91% |
| 3 | Tufts University | $101,196 | $16,500 | $39,998 | 94% |
| 4 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | $97,308 | $27,000 | $43,071 | 90% |
| 5 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | $97,124 | $27,000 | $34,170 | 68% |
| 6 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | $96,999 | $27,000 | $22,383 | 83% |
| 7 | Boston University | $95,757 | $26,400 | $24,402 | 89% |
| 8 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | $94,841 | $27,000 | $17,163 | 65% |
| 9 | Western New England University | $93,541 | — | $27,290 | 64% |
| 10 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | $89,310 | $27,000 | $20,927 | 52% |
| 11 | Merrimack College | $85,545 | $27,000 | $37,927 | 70% |
2 more Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Acceptance rate: 5% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 96% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $143,372
- Full cost breakdown · all 40 majors · overview
Related majors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Electrical Engineering$161,118
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$114,620
- Civil Engineering—
- Environmental Engineering—
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn a median $131,967 four years after graduating and $83,957 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $11,334, about 9% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is Massachusetts Institute of Technology a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Massachusetts?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn $131,967 four years out, $34,968 above the median for the same major across 11 Massachusetts colleges ($96,999) and $40,777 above the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Massachusetts Institute of Technology rank for Mechanical Engineering in Massachusetts?
Of 11 Massachusetts colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $119,300 in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 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: “Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).