University of Arizona Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Arizona earn a median $90,384 four years after graduating ($75,211 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,391. That is $806 below the U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates ($91,190 across 316 colleges), and ranks 4th of 4 Arizona colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$90,384

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

College Scorecard field of study; 134 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$75,211

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,391

About 26% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,876.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,674 /yr

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

Sticker price $29,423. College Scorecard.

UA Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UA graduates$90,384
Arizona median (5 colleges)$95,090 (−$4,706)
U.S. median (316 colleges)$91,190 (−$806)

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 UA'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$13,353$57,2841.1 years
$30–48k$14,984$64,2811.2 years
$48–75k$16,051$68,8591.3 years
$75–110k$19,777$84,8431.6 years
$110k+$22,307$95,6971.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (51% 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 ($90,384) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AZ (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $53,723 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 Arizona colleges

Every Arizona 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
1Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$96,331$27,000$40,28768%
2Arizona State University Campus Immersion$95,090$20,500$14,96768%
3Northern Arizona University$91,941$24,409$14,15861%
4University of Arizona$90,384$23,391$16,67468%

Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Mechanical engineer

Tucson area$99,750
Arizona$100,270
U.S.$104,110

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

Cost Estimators

Tucson area$73,590
Arizona$77,010
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

Tucson area$159,610
Arizona$167,480
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 UA, by income

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

College Scorecard

About UA

Related majors at UA

UA Mechanical Engineering questions

How much do UA Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Arizona earn a median $90,384 four years after graduating and $75,211 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.

How much debt do UA Mechanical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Arizona is $23,391, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.

Is UA a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Arizona?

On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Arizona earn $90,384 four years out, $4,706 below the median for the same major across 5 Arizona colleges ($95,090) and $806 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UA rank for Mechanical Engineering in Arizona?

Of 4 Arizona colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Arizona ranks 4th. The highest is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott at $96,331.

What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $99,750 in the Tucson, AZ 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: “University of Arizona Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-arizona/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).