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Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY · Public · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $60,249/yr (-15% vs median)

AI Risk Very High (53% exposed)

Job Market Large (58,100 openings/yr)

ROI 18.4x earnings multiple (7.8x out-of-state)

Ranked #269 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	$650K	$633K	$570K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	18.9x	18.4x	16.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	8.0x	7.8x	7.0x
Probability of Field Employment	80%	71%	50%
DegreeOutlook Score	60	59	57

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$34,312

Out-of-state: $80,912 (7.8x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$55,528

-62% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$24,000

4.8 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $60,249 track close to the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 18.4x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $24,000 in median debt against $60,249 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #269 out of 320 programs, SUNY Polytechnic Institute's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About SUNY Polytechnic Institute

SUNY Polytechnic Institute has a 78% acceptance rate, making it broadly accessible, a compact campus enrolling 1,773 students in Utica, NY.

See all programs and financial aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute →

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

Mechanical Engineering at Other Schools

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does SUNY Polytechnic Institute's Mechanical Engineering program score?

A score of 59/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but SUNY Polytechnic Institute 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 →