# Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Blacksburg, VA. IPEDS 233921, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $78,280
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $96,376 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,000 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in VA: 2 of 7 colleges by 4-year earnings

## Mechanical Engineering at VA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University | $96,467 | $25,000 | $17,915 | 68% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $96,376 | $23,000 | $24,953 | 86% |
| University of Virginia | $94,881 | $24,250 | $21,565 | 96% |
| Liberty University | $89,129 | $27,000 | $29,357 | 65% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | $88,410 | $22,235 | $23,433 | 63% |
| Old Dominion University | $87,772 | $27,000 | $14,638 | 46% |
| Virginia Military Institute | $76,909 | $19,971 | $17,113 | 76% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $98,400 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, $104,180 VA, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $67,040 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, $80,530 VA, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $137,870 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, $176,160 VA, $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).