# Union College: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Schenectady, NY. IPEDS 196866, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/union-college/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $68,407
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $85,427 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $27,000 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in NY: 19 of 21 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the NY median for this major (21 colleges, $91,821): -$6,394
- Versus the U.S. median: -$5,763

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.14 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $85,427 minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,776 | $48,753 | 1.0 years |
| 30-48k | $16,415 | $67,958 | 1.3 years |
| 48-75k | $23,941 | $99,116 | 2.0 years |
| 75-110k | $34,100 | $141,174 | 2.8 years |
| 110k+ | $45,017 | $186,370 | 3.7 years |

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

## Mechanical Engineering at NY colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | $112,212 | $15,500 | $28,690 | 95% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $111,491 | $16,960 | $21,590 | 96% |
| SUNY Maritime College | $106,932 | $26,000 | $22,367 | 64% |
| Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology | $103,254 | $27,000 | $39,986 | 39% |
| CUNY City College | $97,270 | $13,232 | $3,776 | 57% |
| University of Rochester | $95,060 | $21,000 | $29,278 | 85% |
| Hofstra University | $94,744 | $22,500 | $34,176 | 69% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | $93,065 | $27,000 | $34,906 | 70% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $92,952 | $25,000 | $36,228 | 84% |
| Manhattan University | $92,802 | $27,000 | $27,256 | 64% |
| New York University | $91,821 | $21,140 | $37,050 | 88% |
| Stony Brook University | $91,650 | $20,008 | $18,784 | 76% |
| Syracuse University | $91,438 | $27,000 | $38,793 | 84% |
| Clarkson University | $90,286 | $27,000 | $30,305 | 75% |
| New York Institute of Technology | $89,966 | $27,225 | $22,443 | 59% |
| Binghamton University | $89,650 | $19,500 | $21,620 | 82% |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | $89,504 | $24,000 | $18,809 | 72% |
| SUNY Polytechnic Institute | $87,788 | $26,471 | $14,164 | 55% |
| Union College | $85,427 | $27,000 | $34,561 | 80% |
| University at Buffalo | $84,602 | $23,944 | $20,995 | 75% |
| Alfred University | $79,452 | $27,000 | $25,620 | 57% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $108,310 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, $102,440 NY, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $81,290 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, $80,430 NY, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $181,000 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, $175,710 NY, $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).