# George Washington University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Washington, DC. IPEDS 131469, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/george-washington-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $82,361
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $101,196 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $21,500 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in DC: 1 of 2 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the U.S. median: +$10,006

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.07 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $101,196 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,440 | $70,981 | 1.1 years |
| 30-48k | $17,292 | $70,378 | 1.1 years |
| 48-75k | $22,080 | $89,866 | 1.4 years |
| 75-110k | $28,100 | $114,367 | 1.8 years |
| 110k+ | $55,337 | $225,222 | 3.6 years |

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

## Mechanical Engineering at DC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University | $101,196 | $21,500 | $36,586 | 84% |
| The Catholic University of America | $90,355 | $27,000 | $29,561 | 80% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $126,990 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $133,300 DC, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $89,330 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $82,730 DC, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $185,220 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $185,220 DC, $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).