U.S. median for this major: $91,190.
College Scorecard field of study; 36 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
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 $79,788. College Scorecard.
Rice 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 Rice 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 | $5,827 | $23,774 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $563 | $2,297 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $3,217 | $13,125 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $17,755 | $72,440 | 1.0 years |
| $110k+ | $48,466 | $197,741 | 2.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (89% 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 ($108,970) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $75,454 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 Texas colleges
Every Texas 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 | Rice University | $108,970 | $15,375 | $13,370 | 95% |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | $104,523 | $18,750 | $19,857 | 89% |
| 3 | Texas Tech University | $98,113 | $25,396 | $19,070 | 69% |
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station | $97,903 | $19,500 | $21,315 | 84% |
| 5 | Lamar University | $97,159 | $29,000 | $9,366 | 37% |
| 6 | West Texas A & M University | $93,938 | $21,125 | $19,487 | 55% |
| 7 | University of Houston | $93,275 | $20,000 | $14,276 | 65% |
| 8 | Baylor University | $92,990 | $27,000 | $41,104 | 80% |
| 9 | Southern Methodist University | $90,649 | $17,708 | $40,892 | 84% |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Arlington | $90,158 | $24,080 | $13,951 | 54% |
| 11 | The University of Texas at Dallas | $90,102 | $24,705 | $18,267 | 76% |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | $88,830 | $21,678 | $12,090 | 42% |
| 13 | Prairie View A & M University | $88,708 | $31,000 | $13,570 | 43% |
| 14 | The University of Texas at Tyler | $88,562 | $22,125 | $13,323 | 54% |
| 15 | The University of Texas at El Paso | $88,393 | $18,875 | $9,403 | 50% |
| 16 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $87,991 | $15,500 | $4,831 | 51% |
| 17 | University of North Texas | $87,257 | $26,974 | $15,649 | 61% |
| 18 | Midwestern State University | $87,160 | $31,000 | $11,656 | 43% |
| 19 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | $87,062 | $27,000 | $10,836 | 53% |
| 20 | LeTourneau University | $84,998 | $26,000 | $28,185 | 59% |
| 21 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi | $82,322 | $28,500 | $15,225 | 40% |
8 more Texas 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 Rice University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Rice University
- Acceptance rate: 8% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 95% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $89,718
- Full cost breakdown · all 55 majors · overview
Related majors at Rice University
- Electrical Engineering$136,656
- Civil Engineering—
Rice University Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do Rice University Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of Rice University earn a median $108,970 four years after graduating and $82,899 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do Rice University Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Rice University is $15,375, about 14% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is Rice University a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Texas?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Rice University earn $108,970 four years out, $18,868 above the median for the same major across 21 Texas colleges ($90,102) and $17,780 above the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Rice University rank for Mechanical Engineering in Texas?
Of 21 Texas colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Rice University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $125,350 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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: “Rice University Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/rice-university/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).