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 20% 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 $22,407. College Scorecard.
UAF Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Fewer than 3 Alaska colleges report earnings for this major, so there is no state median.
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 UAF'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 | $7,992 | $35,484 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $6,065 | $26,929 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,323 | $50,274 | 1.0 years |
| $75–110k | $15,526 | $68,935 | 1.4 years |
| $110k+ | $17,512 | $77,753 | 1.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (21% 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 ($91,522) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AK (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $50,912 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 Alaska colleges
Every Alaska college we cover that reports Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Alaska Anchoragebachelor's & associate | $98,156 | $13,876 | $15,301 | 30% |
| 2 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | $91,522 | $18,250 | $10,892 | 38% |
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 UAF, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UAF
- Acceptance rate: — · admissions
- Graduation rate: 38% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $48,866
- Full cost breakdown · all 51 majors · overview
Related majors at UAF
- Electrical Engineering—
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering—
- Civil Engineering$86,819
UAF Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do UAF Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Alaska Fairbanks earn a median $91,522 four years after graduating and $79,438 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do UAF Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Alaska Fairbanks is $18,250, about 20% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Where does UAF rank for Mechanical Engineering in Alaska?
Of 2 Alaska colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Alaska Fairbanks ranks 2nd; among the 1 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 1st. The highest is University of Alaska Anchorage at $98,156.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $122,760 in the Fairbanks-College, AK 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: “University of Alaska Fairbanks Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alaska-fairbanks/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).