Bachelor's+2% vs national median4,149 grads tracked
Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Ranked 28th of 125 bachelor's programs in Mechanical Engineering by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$77,591
middle 50%: $64,437 – $90,166
Median · 5 years out
$98,848
middle 50%: $83,644 – $117,344
Median · 10 years out
$123,028
middle 50%: $100,000 – $153,074
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 alumni from Virginia Tech earn a median of $78k in year one. Median salaries reach $123k after ten years.
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 yrs
≈ $4,320 total interest
Same major at other universities
Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University
$99,690 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Tyler
$99,411 · 5 yrs out
Central Connecticut State University
$99,338 · 5 yrs out
Colorado School of Mines
$99,283 · 5 yrs out
Ohio State University (The)
$99,147 · 5 yrs out
University of Connecticut
$98,992 · 5 yrs out
Quinnipiac University
$98,392 · 5 yrs out
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
$98,353 · 5 yrs out
Oregon Institute of Technology
$98,320 · 5 yrs out
Arizona State University
$98,212 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
$98,155 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Arlington
$97,934 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$160,426 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$155,674 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$148,193 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$132,072 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$130,533 · 5 yrs out
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$129,123 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$125,251 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)
$125,251 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$121,443 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$119,838 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Master's)
$116,512 · 5 yrs out
Education (Doctorate)
$109,749 · 5 yrs out
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