University of Memphis Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Memphis earn a median $89,516 four years after graduating ($69,386 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,500. That is $1,674 below the U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates ($91,190 across 316 colleges), and ranks 4th of 7 Tennessee colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$89,516

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

College Scorecard field of study; 48 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$69,386

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,500

About 31% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,876.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$12,397 /yr

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

Sticker price $25,169. College Scorecard.

University of Memphis Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Memphis graduates$89,516
Tennessee median (7 colleges)$89,516 (+$0)
U.S. median (316 colleges)$91,190 (−$1,674)

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 Memphis'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$10,607$47,307under 1 year
$30–48k$10,968$48,917under 1 year
$48–75k$13,923$62,0971.1 years
$75–110k$17,384$77,5331.4 years
$110k+$18,691$83,3621.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (31% 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 ($89,516) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $54,998 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 Tennessee colleges

Every Tennessee 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
1Vanderbilt University$101,345$14,000$15,84694%
2Lipscomb University$93,990$27,000$24,73972%
3The University of Tennessee-Knoxville$90,623$23,250$18,97674%
4University of Memphis$89,516$27,500$12,39751%
5The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga$89,407$24,904$14,26550%
6Christian Brothers University$85,285$27,000$9,85455%
7Tennessee Technological University$84,267$20,500$14,24658%

5 more Tennessee colleges offer Mechanical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Mechanical engineer

Memphis area$104,110
Tennessee$99,550
U.S.$104,110

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

Cost Estimators

Memphis area$76,660
Tennessee$75,650
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

Memphis area$179,670
Tennessee$161,430
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 Memphis, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Memphis

Related majors at University of Memphis

University of Memphis Mechanical Engineering questions

How much do University of Memphis Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Memphis earn a median $89,516 four years after graduating and $69,386 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.

How much debt do University of Memphis Mechanical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Memphis is $27,500, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.

Is University of Memphis a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Tennessee?

On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Memphis earn $89,516 four years out, $0 above the median for the same major across 7 Tennessee colleges ($89,516) and $1,674 below the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Memphis rank for Mechanical Engineering in Tennessee?

Of 7 Tennessee colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Memphis ranks 4th. The highest is Vanderbilt University at $101,345.

What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $104,110 in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR 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 Memphis Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-memphis/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).