Program Analysis
At $71,800/yr, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Missouri-Columbia land near the $70,527 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
With a 14.7x 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.
The median debt load of $21,843 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
A #150 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places University of Missouri-Columbia in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 29% earnings increase from $71,800 to $92,736 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.