Mechanical Engineering graduates from Stanford University earn $218,808 median salary, above the national average for this program.
Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University
Stanford, California • Doctoral
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Stanford University 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 Stanford University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $218,808 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $157,404 across all institutions offering Mechanical Engineering, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Stanford University, the mean median-earnings figure is $147,747, 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 four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Mechanical Engineering at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University (this school) | $218,808 | - |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $147,335 | - |
| University of Florida | $106,068 | - |
| University of California-Berkeley | - | - |
| University of California-Los Angeles | - | - |
| University of Colorado Boulder | - | - |
| University of Notre Dame | - | - |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - | - |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | - | - |
| The University of Texas at Austin | - | - |
Other Programs at Stanford University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $261,816 | $57,458 |
| Law | $259,944 | $153,302 |
| Computer Science | $255,667 | - |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $231,917 | - |
| Mechanical Engineering (current) | $218,808 | - |
| Computer Science | $214,907 | $10,399 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $206,093 | - |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $181,705 | - |
| Chemistry | $170,898 | - |
| Mechanical Engineering | $167,632 | $41,000 |
Other Schools with Mechanical Engineering
Quick picks offering the same program – compare side by side
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.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.