University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Louisiana at Lafayette earn a median $91,187 four years after graduating ($63,812 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $22,175. That is $3 below the U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates ($91,190 across 316 colleges), and ranks 6th of 6 Louisiana colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$91,187

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

College Scorecard field of study; 94 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$63,812

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$22,175

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

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$13,530 /yr

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

Sticker price $24,884. College Scorecard.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduates$91,187
Louisiana median (6 colleges)$92,713 (−$1,526)
U.S. median (316 colleges)$91,190 (−$3)

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 University of Louisiana at Lafayette'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$11,157$51,099under 1 year
$30–48k$11,283$51,676under 1 year
$48–75k$13,692$62,7091.1 years
$75–110k$17,079$78,2221.3 years
$110k+$18,562$85,0141.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (27% 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 ($91,187) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $58,699 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 Louisiana colleges

Every Louisiana 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
1Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College$99,975$18,500$19,15169%
2Southern University and A & M College$92,969$29,500$20,07727%
3Southern University Law Center$92,969$29,500——
4Louisiana Tech University$92,457$26,400$11,86464%
5University of New Orleans$91,435$19,000$12,38438%
6University of Louisiana at Lafayette$91,187$22,175$13,53053%

1 more Louisiana college offers Mechanical Engineering but has too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Mechanical engineer

Lafayette area$82,520
Louisiana$119,540
U.S.$104,110

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

Cost Estimators

Lafayette area$75,110
Louisiana$77,030
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

Lafayette area$152,090
Louisiana$162,850
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 University of Louisiana at Lafayette, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Related majors at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mechanical Engineering questions

How much do University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Louisiana at Lafayette earn a median $91,187 four years after graduating and $63,812 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.

How much debt do University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mechanical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Louisiana at Lafayette is $22,175, about 24% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.

Is University of Louisiana at Lafayette a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Louisiana?

On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Louisiana at Lafayette earn $91,187 four years out, $1,526 below the median for the same major across 6 Louisiana colleges ($92,713) and $3 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Louisiana at Lafayette rank for Mechanical Engineering in Louisiana?

Of 6 Louisiana colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranks 6th. The highest is Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College at $99,975.

What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $82,520 in the Lafayette, LA 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 Louisiana at Lafayette Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-louisiana-at-lafayette/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).