# Duke University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Durham, NC. IPEDS 198419, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/duke-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $89,938
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $120,991 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $10,000 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in NC: 1 of 4 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the NC median for this major (4 colleges, $87,688): +$33,303
- Versus the U.S. median: +$29,801

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.09 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $120,991 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $735 | $3,006 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $0 | $0 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $5,706 | $23,338 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $17,100 | $69,939 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $54,230 | $221,801 | 2.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Mechanical Engineering at NC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | $120,991 | $10,000 | $29,612 | 97% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $88,265 | $27,000 | $15,435 | 69% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $87,112 | $24,250 | $17,303 | 85% |
| North Carolina A & T State University | $85,463 | $29,822 | $10,846 | 57% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $101,650 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, $100,720 NC, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $80,800 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, $74,730 NC, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $172,480 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, $167,840 NC, $171,270 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).