U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 706 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 31% 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 $32,521. College Scorecard.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg 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 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg'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 | $16,219 | $70,877 | 1.4 years |
| $30–48k | $16,221 | $70,886 | 1.4 years |
| $48–75k | $21,176 | $92,539 | 1.8 years |
| $75–110k | $25,103 | $109,700 | 2.1 years |
| $110k+ | $29,834 | $130,375 | 2.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (19% 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 ($87,997) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $52,200 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania 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 | University of Pennsylvania | $114,492 | $12,455 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | $105,623 | $22,777 | $31,944 | 94% |
| 3 | Lafayette College | $101,348 | $19,500 | $34,433 | 88% |
| 4 | Bucknell University | $99,860 | $19,500 | $40,766 | 86% |
| 5 | Villanova University | $97,556 | $25,995 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 6 | Lehigh University | $96,618 | $24,950 | $36,931 | 88% |
| 7 | Drexel University | $93,638 | $31,000 | $38,509 | 78% |
| 8 | Temple University | $91,131 | $26,843 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 9 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $90,768 | $27,000 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $90,768 | $27,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 11 | York College of Pennsylvania | $89,995 | $27,000 | $18,556 | 64% |
| 12 | Widener University | $88,358 | $27,000 | $25,759 | 68% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $87,997 | $27,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | $87,997 | $27,000 | $17,910 | 39% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | $87,997 | $27,000 | $24,356 | 32% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $87,997 | $27,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University | $87,997 | $27,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 18 | Gannon University | $82,856 | $27,000 | $22,553 | 66% |
| 19 | Wilkes University | $79,326 | $27,000 | $27,743 | 63% |
10 more Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
- Acceptance rate: 98% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 26% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,435
- Full cost breakdown · all 34 majors · overview
Related majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
- Electrical Engineering$93,277
- Civil Engineering$81,403
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg earn a median $87,997 four years after graduating and $69,772 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg is $27,000, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg earn $87,997 four years out, $2,385 below the median for the same major across 20 Pennsylvania colleges ($90,382) and $3,193 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg rank for Mechanical Engineering in Pennsylvania?
Of 19 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg ranks 16th. The highest is University of Pennsylvania at $114,492.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $95,000 in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 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: “Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-harrisburg/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).