Saginaw Valley State University Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Mechanical Engineering graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn a median $83,873 four years after graduating ($76,823 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,679. That is $7,317 below the U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates ($91,190 across 316 colleges), and ranks 15th of 15 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$83,873

U.S. median for this major: $91,190.

College Scorecard field of study; 42 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$76,823

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,679

About 32% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,876.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$10,775 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $24,936. College Scorecard.

Saginaw Valley State University Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Saginaw Valley State University graduates$83,873
Michigan median (15 colleges)$94,869 (−$10,996)
U.S. median (316 colleges)$91,190 (−$7,317)

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 Saginaw Valley State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$9,844$47,153under 1 year
$30–48k$19,711$94,4161.9 years
$48–75k$20,053$96,0541.9 years
$75–110k$18,879$90,4301.8 years
$110k+$24,103$115,4532.3 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 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 ($83,873) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $50,462 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 Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$105,888$21,750$13,13893%
2University of Detroit Mercy$104,683—$15,23267%
3Lawrence Technological University$100,145$27,000$32,91861%
4Kettering University$99,292$28,000$34,66071%
5Michigan State University$97,946$24,000$19,68081%
6Oakland University$97,444$25,000$9,12058%
7University of Michigan-Dearborn$94,919$23,950$9,49258%
8Wayne State University$94,869$24,140$12,76658%
9Grand Valley State University$90,565$28,000$16,31767%
10Lake Superior State University$90,216$26,901$12,82251%
11University of Michigan-Flint$89,554$31,000$7,00740%
12Michigan Technological University$88,860$27,000$14,18268%
13Western Michigan University$87,477$31,000$15,27358%
14Central Michigan University$85,196$27,000$17,59759%
15Saginaw Valley State University$83,873$26,679$10,77548%

2 more Michigan colleges offer Mechanical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Mechanical engineer

Saginaw area$91,040
Michigan$104,890
U.S.$104,110

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +11.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Cost Estimators

Saginaw area$75,940
Michigan$77,990
U.S.$78,740

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Saginaw area$134,640
Michigan$166,930
U.S.$171,270

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 Saginaw Valley State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Saginaw Valley State University

Related majors at Saginaw Valley State University

  • Electrical Engineering$90,482
  • Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—

Saginaw Valley State University Mechanical Engineering questions

How much do Saginaw Valley State University Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Mechanical Engineering graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn a median $83,873 four years after graduating and $76,823 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.

How much debt do Saginaw Valley State University Mechanical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of Saginaw Valley State University is $26,679, about 32% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.

Is Saginaw Valley State University a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Michigan?

On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn $83,873 four years out, $10,996 below the median for the same major across 15 Michigan colleges ($94,869) and $7,317 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Saginaw Valley State University rank for Mechanical Engineering in Michigan?

Of 15 Michigan colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, Saginaw Valley State University ranks 15th. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $105,888.

What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $91,040 in the Saginaw, MI 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
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Cite this: “Saginaw Valley State University Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/saginaw-valley-state-university/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).