# Saint Cloud State University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Saint Cloud, MN. IPEDS 174783, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/saint-cloud-state-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $70,179
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $87,503 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $27,090 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in MN: 4 of 5 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MN median for this major (5 colleges, $88,965): -$1,462
- Versus the U.S. median: -$3,687

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.52 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $87,503 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $8,909 | $40,269 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $9,871 | $44,617 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $12,034 | $54,394 | 1.1 years |
| 75-110k | $14,781 | $66,810 | 1.4 years |
| 110k+ | $18,989 | $85,830 | 1.7 years |

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

## Mechanical Engineering at MN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of St Thomas | $91,683 | $27,000 | $29,155 | 76% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | $90,061 | $22,077 | $16,778 | 85% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | $88,965 | $27,000 | $18,743 | 65% |
| Saint Cloud State University | $87,503 | $27,090 | $13,529 | 40% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato | $85,286 | $27,886 | $19,139 | 54% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $90,670 St. Cloud, MN, $99,140 MN, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $76,980 St. Cloud, MN, $80,810 MN, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $151,820 St. Cloud, MN, $172,130 MN, $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).