Program Analysis
At $79,438 per year, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Alaska Fairbanks earn slightly above the $70,527 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 24.1x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Mechanical Engineering programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Mechanical Engineering's typical career paths, with 53% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 19% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $18,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
Ranked #4 of 320 Mechanical Engineering programs nationally, University of Alaska Fairbanks sits in the top 1% — one of the strongest programs in the country by financial outcomes.
Five-year earnings of $94,625 are relatively flat compared to the $79,438 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.