WhatGradsMake
Bachelor's-2% vs national median232 grads tracked

Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Military Institute

Ranked 64th of 125 bachelor's programs in Mechanical Engineering by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$72,756
middle 50%: $58,768 – $89,645
Median · 5 years out
$94,807
middle 50%: $77,901 – $113,212
Median · 10 years out
$118,958
middle 50%: $92,976 – $141,863

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

Graduates of Virginia Military Institute's bachelor's program in Mechanical Engineering earn a median $72,756 one year after graduating, rising to $118,958 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 2% below the national median of $96,517 for this field, ranking 64th of 125 reporting programs.

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
4.3 yrs
≈ $4,599 total interest

Same major at other universities

West Virginia University
$95,080 · 5 yrs out
University of Southern Maine
$95,075 · 5 yrs out
University of Colorado Denver
$95,004 · 5 yrs out
University of Georgia
$94,903 · 5 yrs out
University of Hartford
$94,869 · 5 yrs out
Colorado State University
$94,865 · 5 yrs out
West Virginia University - Institute of Technology
$94,789 · 5 yrs out
University of New Haven
$94,584 · 5 yrs out
North Carolina State University
$94,517 · 5 yrs out
University of Wyoming
$94,305 · 5 yrs out
University of Alabama at Birmingham
$94,107 · 5 yrs out
University of Missouri - Columbia
$94,029 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Virginia Military Institute

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$95,830 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$95,830 · 5 yrs out
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$94,869 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$94,607 · 5 yrs out
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)
$91,143 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Bachelor's)
$88,659 · 5 yrs out
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's)
$84,259 · 5 yrs out
Chemistry (Bachelor's)
$84,159 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Bachelor's)
$83,086 · 5 yrs out
Economics (Bachelor's)
$80,683 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Bachelor's)
$80,444 · 5 yrs out
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's)
$78,948 · 5 yrs out

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