Bachelor's · University Center, Michigan
Is Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 1.6 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $82,616
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $90,090
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $20,750
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $53k (likely $52k – $73k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $54k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in MI
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 1.6 years (likely 1.2–2.1)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $301k (likely $182k – $446k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $907k (likely $649k – $1.21M)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 51%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Mechanical Engineering at other schools
Other majors at Saginaw Valley State University
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$113,545
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$90,681
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$90,482
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$82,773
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$81,103
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$78,259
- Computer Systems Analysis (Bachelor's)$72,888
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$72,171
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's)$70,336
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Bachelor's)$70,081
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$69,953
- Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's)$65,826
Mechanical Engineering at other schools in Michigan
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$105,888
- University of Detroit Mercy$104,683
- Lawrence Technological University$100,145
- Kettering University$99,292
- Michigan State University$97,946
- Oakland University$97,444
- University of Michigan-Dearborn$94,919
- Wayne State University$94,869
- Grand Valley State University$90,565
- Lake Superior State University$90,216