Bachelor's-6% vs national median1,374 grads tracked
Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois Chicago
Ranked 97th of 125 bachelor's programs in Mechanical Engineering by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$70,514
middle 50%: $53,830 – $81,820
Median · 5 years out
$91,169
middle 50%: $77,985 – $106,651
Median · 10 years out
$116,584
middle 50%: $96,411 – $142,023
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $71k in year one. Ten-year median earnings hit $117k.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
4.4 yrs
≈ $4,769 total interest
Same major at other universities
Purdue University - North Central
$92,269 · 5 yrs out
Minnesota State University, Mankato
$92,158 · 5 yrs out
Montana State University Bozeman
$92,156 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at San Antonio
$92,016 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Commonwealth University
$91,896 · 5 yrs out
St. Cloud State University
$91,526 · 5 yrs out
University of North Texas
$91,022 · 5 yrs out
Northern Illinois University
$90,924 · 5 yrs out
University of Akron (The)
$90,822 · 5 yrs out
Miami University
$90,771 · 5 yrs out
Valparaiso University
$90,632 · 5 yrs out
Brigham Young University - Idaho
$90,527 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Illinois Chicago
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$203,383 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$155,322 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$152,674 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$149,199 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$146,852 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$143,939 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctorate)
$139,846 · 5 yrs out
Dentistry (Doctorate)
$135,535 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$133,429 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$123,770 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$117,024 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$115,930 · 5 yrs out
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