University of Nevada-Reno Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Nevada-Reno earn a median $88,460 four years after graduating ($61,977 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $22,750. That is $2,730 below the U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates ($91,190 across 316 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 2 Nevada colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$88,460

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

College Scorecard field of study; 175 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$61,977

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$22,750

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

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,927 /yr

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

Sticker price $25,786. College Scorecard.

University of Nevada-Reno Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Nevada-Reno graduates$88,460

Fewer than 3 Nevada colleges report earnings for this major, so there is no state median.

U.S. median (316 colleges)$91,190 (−$2,730)

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 Nevada-Reno'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$12,674$55,5121.1 years
$30–48k$13,125$57,4881.1 years
$48–75k$14,537$63,6721.2 years
$75–110k$18,317$80,2281.5 years
$110k+$21,646$94,8091.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (42% 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 ($88,460) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $51,911 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 Nevada colleges

Every Nevada 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 Nevada-Las Vegas$97,901$20,500$10,35951%
2University of Nevada-Reno$88,460$22,750$15,92761%

Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Mechanical engineer

Reno area$101,520
Nevada$102,680
U.S.$104,110

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

Cost Estimators

Reno area$82,270
Nevada$82,200
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

Reno area$160,900
Nevada$161,560
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 Nevada-Reno, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Nevada-Reno

Related majors at University of Nevada-Reno

University of Nevada-Reno Mechanical Engineering questions

How much do University of Nevada-Reno Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Nevada-Reno earn a median $88,460 four years after graduating and $61,977 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.

How much debt do University of Nevada-Reno Mechanical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Nevada-Reno is $22,750, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.

Where does University of Nevada-Reno rank for Mechanical Engineering in Nevada?

Of 2 Nevada colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Nevada-Reno ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Nevada-Las Vegas at $97,901.

What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $101,520 in the Reno, NV area and $104,110 nationally. Others include cost estimators and architectural and engineering managers.

Is University of Nevada-Reno the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing University of Nevada-Reno with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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 Nevada-Reno Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-nevada-reno/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).