{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOccupationalProgram","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-12","license":"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).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-alabama/majors/mechanical-engineering","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":102094,"cip4":"14.19","school_slug":"university-of-south-alabama","major_slug":"mechanical-engineering"},"school":{"name":"University of South Alabama","city":"Mobile","state":"AL","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-alabama","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/university-of-south-alabama.json"},"major":{"name":"Mechanical Engineering","area":"Engineering","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":67175,"median_earnings_4yr":89052,"median_debt":26500,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.298,"year":{"earnings_1yr":"Treasury AY2018-19, AY2019-20 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars","earnings_4yr":"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"},"source":"College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)"},"national":{"colleges_reporting":316,"median_earnings_4yr":91190,"median_debt":24876},"compared_with_same_major":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","state":{"geography":"AL","colleges_reporting":7,"median_earnings_4yr":93246,"difference":-4194},"us":{"colleges_reporting":316,"median_earnings_4yr":91190,"difference":-2138},"note":"State and U.S. medians are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major (4 years after graduating); a state median is published when at least 3 colleges in the state report earnings."},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.45,"finished_in_4_years":0.3324,"finished_within_6_years":0.5203,"cohort":1868,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":31484,"geography":"AL","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":5335,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":89052,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of this major's graduates 4 years after graduating (College Scorecard field of study); school-wide net price","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":12657,"cost_to_finish":56324,"payback_years":1,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.0 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":13265,"cost_to_finish":59029,"payback_years":1,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.0 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":16277,"cost_to_finish":72433,"payback_years":1.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.3 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":23252,"cost_to_finish":103471,"payback_years":1.8,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.8 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":25322,"cost_to_finish":112683,"payback_years":2,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.0 years"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; payback_years = cost_to_finish / (earnings_used - baseline), one decimal; status over_cap above 20 years, no_premium when earnings do not exceed the baseline. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":6,"of":7,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":100706,"name":"University of Alabama in Huntsville","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":95341,"median_debt":24897,"net_price_average":18796,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.643,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-in-huntsville/majors/mechanical-engineering"},{"ipeds_unitid":100751,"name":"The University of Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":95079,"median_debt":24755,"net_price_average":22420,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.734,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-alabama/majors/mechanical-engineering"},{"ipeds_unitid":102377,"name":"Tuskegee University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":93694,"median_debt":30500,"net_price_average":35013,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.55,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/tuskegee-university/majors/mechanical-engineering"},{"ipeds_unitid":100858,"name":"Auburn University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":93246,"median_debt":24514,"net_price_average":24323,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.82,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/auburn-university/majors/mechanical-engineering"},{"ipeds_unitid":100663,"name":"University of Alabama at Birmingham","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":89589,"median_debt":26354,"net_price_average":18749,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.642,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham/majors/mechanical-engineering"},{"ipeds_unitid":102094,"name":"University of South Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":89052,"median_debt":26500,"net_price_average":17648,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.527,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-alabama/majors/mechanical-engineering"},{"ipeds_unitid":100654,"name":"Alabama A & M University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":87291,"median_debt":30500,"net_price_average":17621,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.24,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/alabama-a-and-m-university/majors/mechanical-engineering"}],"careers":[{"soc":"17-2140","title":"Mechanical engineer","median_wage_metro":105670,"metro":"Mobile, AL","median_wage_state":100230,"median_wage_us":104110,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":11.2,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"13-1051","title":"Cost Estimators","median_wage_metro":76980,"metro":"Mobile, AL","median_wage_state":74990,"median_wage_us":78740,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":-3.1,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"11-9041","title":"Architectural and Engineering Managers","median_wage_metro":164020,"metro":"Mobile, AL","median_wage_state":162350,"median_wage_us":171270,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":5.5,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"school_context":{"net_price_average":17648,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":12657,"30-48k":13265,"48-75k":16277,"75-110k":23252,"110k+":25322},"acceptance_rate":0.71,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.527,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}