Mechanical Engineering graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn $112,885 median salary — below the national average for this program.
Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts • Doctoral
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Mechanical Engineering at the doctoral credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 54 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $112,885 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $114,154 across all institutions offering Mechanical Engineering, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the mean median-earnings figure is $136,068, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school.. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Mechanical Engineering at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | $218,808 | — |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $147,335 | — |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | $119,547 | — |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $117,572 | — |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (this school) | $112,885 | — |
| University of California-Berkeley | $109,763 | — |
| University of Florida | $106,068 | — |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | $98,743 | — |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $97,959 | — |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $90,412 | — |
Other Programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | $258,152 | $41,000 |
| Systems Engineering | $227,052 | $44,052 |
| Computer Science | $225,141 | $11,077 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $214,070 | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $204,731 | $41,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $200,732 | $45,290 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $199,245 | — |
| Biology, General | $189,144 | — |
| Chemical Engineering | $184,436 | — |
| Mathematics | $174,951 | $9,751 |
View all 36 programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology →
Other Schools with Mechanical Engineering
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.