# Widener University: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Chester, PA. IPEDS 216852, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/widener-university/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $65,515
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $88,358 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $27,000 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in PA: 12 of 19 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the PA median for this major (20 colleges, $90,382): -$2,024
- Versus the U.S. median: -$2,832

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.15 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $88,358 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $21,200 | $87,980 | 1.7 years |
| 30-48k | $22,275 | $92,441 | 1.8 years |
| 48-75k | $22,514 | $93,433 | 1.8 years |
| 75-110k | $25,900 | $107,485 | 2.0 years |
| 110k+ | $32,296 | $134,028 | 2.5 years |

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

## Mechanical Engineering at PA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $114,492 | $12,455 | $28,699 | 97% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $105,623 | $22,777 | $31,944 | 94% |
| Lafayette College | $101,348 | $19,500 | $34,433 | 88% |
| Bucknell University | $99,860 | $19,500 | $40,766 | 86% |
| Villanova University | $97,556 | $25,995 | $43,756 | 92% |
| Lehigh University | $96,618 | $24,950 | $36,931 | 88% |
| Drexel University | $93,638 | $31,000 | $38,509 | 78% |
| Temple University | $91,131 | $26,843 | $28,198 | 75% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $90,768 | $27,000 | $18,202 | 56% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $90,768 | $27,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| York College of Pennsylvania | $89,995 | $27,000 | $18,556 | 64% |
| Widener University | $88,358 | $27,000 | $25,759 | 68% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $87,997 | $27,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | $87,997 | $27,000 | $17,910 | 39% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | $87,997 | $27,000 | $24,356 | 32% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $87,997 | $27,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| Pennsylvania State University | $87,997 | $27,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| Gannon University | $82,856 | $27,000 | $22,553 | 66% |
| Wilkes University | $79,326 | $27,000 | $27,743 | 63% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $104,410 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, $97,920 PA, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $79,880 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, $78,480 PA, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $171,140 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, $164,690 PA, $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).