# Oakland University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Rochester Hills, MI. IPEDS 171571, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/oakland-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $78,213
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $97,444 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $25,000 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in MI: 6 of 15 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MI median for this major (15 colleges, $94,869): +$2,575
- Versus the U.S. median: +$6,254

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.52 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $97,444 minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $4,422 | $19,987 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $4,560 | $20,611 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $6,711 | $30,334 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $11,874 | $53,670 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $19,217 | $86,861 | 1.4 years |

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

## Mechanical Engineering at MI colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $105,888 | $21,750 | $13,138 | 93% |
| University of Detroit Mercy | $104,683 | not reported | $15,232 | 67% |
| Lawrence Technological University | $100,145 | $27,000 | $32,918 | 61% |
| Kettering University | $99,292 | $28,000 | $34,660 | 71% |
| Michigan State University | $97,946 | $24,000 | $19,680 | 81% |
| Oakland University | $97,444 | $25,000 | $9,120 | 58% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | $94,919 | $23,950 | $9,492 | 58% |
| Wayne State University | $94,869 | $24,140 | $12,766 | 58% |
| Grand Valley State University | $90,565 | $28,000 | $16,317 | 67% |
| Lake Superior State University | $90,216 | $26,901 | $12,822 | 51% |
| University of Michigan-Flint | $89,554 | $31,000 | $7,007 | 40% |
| Michigan Technological University | $88,860 | $27,000 | $14,182 | 68% |
| Western Michigan University | $87,477 | $31,000 | $15,273 | 58% |
| Central Michigan University | $85,196 | $27,000 | $17,597 | 59% |
| Saginaw Valley State University | $83,873 | $26,679 | $10,775 | 48% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $109,470 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, $104,890 MI, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $80,200 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, $77,990 MI, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $168,550 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, $166,930 MI, $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).