U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 65 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 28% 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 $15,571. College Scorecard.
PNW 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 PNW'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 | $1,432 | $6,387 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $2,428 | $10,829 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $7,026 | $31,336 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $12,452 | $55,536 | 1.0 years |
| $110k+ | $13,645 | $60,857 | 1.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% 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 ($91,229) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $55,695 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 PNW, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About PNW
- Acceptance rate: 72% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 43% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $48,318
- Full cost breakdown · all 48 majors · overview
Related majors at PNW
- Electrical Engineering$96,206
- Civil Engineering$84,514
PNW Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do PNW Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn a median $91,229 four years after graduating and $68,632 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do PNW Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Purdue University Northwest is $25,250, about 28% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is PNW a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Indiana?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn $91,229 four years out, $646 above the median for the same major across 9 Indiana colleges ($90,583) and $39 above the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does PNW rank for Mechanical Engineering in Indiana?
Of 9 Indiana colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Purdue University Northwest ranks 4th. 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 $102,070 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-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: “Purdue University Northwest Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-northwest/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).