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 11% 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 $89,028. College Scorecard.
University of Pennsylvania Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
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 Pennsylvania'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 | $0 | $0 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $316 | $1,296 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $10,439 | $42,800 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $25,476 | $104,452 | 1.3 years |
| $110k+ | $55,972 | $229,485 | 2.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (88% 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 ($114,492) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $78,695 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | $114,492 | $12,455 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | $105,623 | $22,777 | $31,944 | 94% |
| 3 | Lafayette College | $101,348 | $19,500 | $34,433 | 88% |
| 4 | Bucknell University | $99,860 | $19,500 | $40,766 | 86% |
| 5 | Villanova University | $97,556 | $25,995 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 6 | Lehigh University | $96,618 | $24,950 | $36,931 | 88% |
| 7 | Drexel University | $93,638 | $31,000 | $38,509 | 78% |
| 8 | Temple University | $91,131 | $26,843 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 9 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $90,768 | $27,000 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $90,768 | $27,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 11 | York College of Pennsylvania | $89,995 | $27,000 | $18,556 | 64% |
| 12 | Widener University | $88,358 | $27,000 | $25,759 | 68% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $87,997 | $27,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | $87,997 | $27,000 | $17,910 | 39% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | $87,997 | $27,000 | $24,356 | 32% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $87,997 | $27,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University | $87,997 | $27,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 18 | Gannon University | $82,856 | $27,000 | $22,553 | 66% |
| 19 | Wilkes University | $79,326 | $27,000 | $27,743 | 63% |
10 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Mechanical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.
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 University of Pennsylvania, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Pennsylvania
- Acceptance rate: 5% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 97% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $111,371
- Full cost breakdown · all 76 majors · overview
Related majors at University of Pennsylvania
- Electrical Engineering—
University of Pennsylvania Mechanical Engineering questions
How much do University of Pennsylvania Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Pennsylvania earn a median $114,492 four years after graduating and $66,876 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.
How much debt do University of Pennsylvania Mechanical Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Pennsylvania is $12,455, about 11% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.
Is University of Pennsylvania a good school for Mechanical Engineering in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Pennsylvania earn $114,492 four years out, $24,110 above the median for the same major across 20 Pennsylvania colleges ($90,382) and $23,302 above the U.S. median ($91,190). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Pennsylvania rank for Mechanical Engineering in Pennsylvania?
Of 19 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Pennsylvania ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?
A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $104,410 in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 Pennsylvania Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).