Bachelor's · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Is Mechanical Engineering at University of Pennsylvania worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 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 2.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $122,978
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $125k (likely $125k – $125k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $84k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 2.1 years (likely 1.7–2.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $526k (likely $343k – $735k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $1.47M (likely $1.07M – $1.90M)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 97%
- 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 University of Pennsylvania
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's)$316,195
- Law (First professional)$302,120
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$272,321
- Marketing (Master's)$255,357
- International/Globalization Studies (Master's)$253,631
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Master's)$252,729
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's)$250,392
- Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Undergraduate certificate)$246,660
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$241,380
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's)$237,136
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$233,999
- Real Estate (Master's)$230,624
Mechanical Engineering at other schools in Pennsylvania
- Carnegie Mellon University$105,623
- Lafayette College$101,348
- Bucknell University$99,860
- Villanova University$97,556
- Lehigh University$96,618
- Drexel University$93,638
- Temple University$91,131
- University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$90,768
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$90,768
- York College of Pennsylvania$89,995