Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $73,268 track close to the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
With a 17.7x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 19% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
At $25,000 in median debt against $73,268 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
A #103 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places Texas Tech University in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 28% earnings increase from $73,268 to $93,452 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.