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Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO · Public · Bachelor's Degree
67 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
69
Optimistic
67
Base Case
65
Pessimistic
Earnings $74,145/yr (5% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (53% exposed)
Job Market Large (58,100 openings/yr)
ROI 9.9x earnings multiple (4.7x out-of-state)
Ranked #197 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Mechanical Engineering graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $881K $839K $716K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 10.4x 9.9x 8.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.0x 4.7x 4.0x
Probability of Field Employment 80% 71% 50%
DegreeOutlook Score 69 67 65

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$84,744
Out-of-state: $177,504 (4.7x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$116,960
-38% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$23,000
3.7 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$93,871
27% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Colorado School of Mines's Mechanical Engineering graduates start at $74,145/yr — above the $70,527 national average, though not by a wide margin.

At 9.9x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.

AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $23,000 in median debt clears quickly against $74,145 in annual earnings.

At #197 out of 320 programs, Colorado School of Mines's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $74,145 to $93,871 shows 27% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About Colorado School of Mines

Colorado School of Mines's 60% acceptance rate reflects moderate selectivity, enrolling 5,801 students in Golden, CO.

See all programs and financial aid at Colorado School of Mines →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Aerospace engineers $134,830/yr
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120/yr
View all 5 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 320 schools offering Mechanical Engineering →

Mechanical Engineering at Other Schools

California State University Maritime Academy ($92,315) Duke University ($89,938) University of California-Berkeley ($88,497) Franklin W Olin College of Engineering ($87,590) Cornell University ($85,440) Princeton University ($85,328) University of Notre Dame ($84,999) Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($83,957)

Other Majors at Colorado School of Mines

Computer Science ($86,268) Mining and Mineral Engineering ($83,309) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($80,815) Metallurgical Engineering ($78,984) Petroleum Engineering ($77,400) Engineering Physics ($72,858) Civil Engineering ($70,301) Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering ($69,102)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Colorado School of Mines's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 67/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Colorado School of Mines trails the majority of Mechanical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Mechanical Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Mechanical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 53% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →