University of Rhode Island Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Rhode Island earn a median $89,901 four years after graduating ($70,724 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $25,500. That is $1,289 below the U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates ($91,190 across 316 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 2 Rhode Island colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$89,901

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

College Scorecard field of study; 129 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$70,724

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$25,500

About 28% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,876.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$21,440 /yr

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

Sticker price $34,321. College Scorecard.

URI Mechanical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

URI graduates$89,901

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

U.S. median (316 colleges)$91,190 (−$1,289)

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 URI'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$14,368$60,6331.2 years
$30–48k$12,923$54,5351.1 years
$48–75k$17,803$75,1291.5 years
$75–110k$23,394$98,7232.0 years
$110k+$28,460$120,1012.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% 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 ($89,901) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $50,021 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 Rhode Island colleges

Every Rhode Island 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
1Roger Williams University$94,385$27,000$37,99969%
2University of Rhode Island$89,901$25,500$21,44073%

Careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Mechanical engineer

Providence area$111,360
Rhode Island$116,230
U.S.$104,110

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

Cost Estimators

Providence area$87,720
Rhode Island$81,990
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

Providence area$172,640
Rhode Island$175,910
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 URI, by income

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

College Scorecard

About URI

Related majors at URI

URI Mechanical Engineering questions

How much do URI Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Rhode Island earn a median $89,901 four years after graduating and $70,724 one year after. The U.S. median for Mechanical Engineering graduates across 316 colleges is $91,190.

How much debt do URI Mechanical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates of University of Rhode Island is $25,500, about 28% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,876.

Where does URI rank for Mechanical Engineering in Rhode Island?

Of 2 Rhode Island colleges reporting Mechanical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Rhode Island ranks 2nd. The highest is Roger Williams University at $94,385.

What jobs do Mechanical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is mechanical engineer, with a median wage of $111,360 in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 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 Rhode Island Mechanical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-rhode-island/majors/mechanical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).