# Vanderbilt University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Nashville, TN. IPEDS 221999, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/vanderbilt-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $78,009
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $101,345 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $14,000 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in TN: 1 of 7 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the TN median for this major (7 colleges, $89,516): +$11,829
- Versus the U.S. median: +$10,155

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.07 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $101,345 minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $3,414 | $13,895 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $1,876 | $7,635 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $4,498 | $18,307 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $12,153 | $49,463 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $45,145 | $183,740 | 2.7 years |

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

## Mechanical Engineering at TN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | $101,345 | $14,000 | $15,846 | 94% |
| Lipscomb University | $93,990 | $27,000 | $24,739 | 72% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $90,623 | $23,250 | $18,976 | 74% |
| University of Memphis | $89,516 | $27,500 | $12,397 | 51% |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | $89,407 | $24,904 | $14,265 | 50% |
| Christian Brothers University | $85,285 | $27,000 | $9,854 | 55% |
| Tennessee Technological University | $84,267 | $20,500 | $14,246 | 58% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $99,440 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, $99,550 TN, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $81,300 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, $75,650 TN, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $159,720 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, $161,430 TN, $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).