Manufacturing Engineering at Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Arizona State's Manufacturing Engineering program starts graduates at $74,119—about $2,000 above the national median for this field. The debt load of $24,253 is moderate but higher than the national benchmark, resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33. That means graduates owe roughly four months of their first-year salary, which is manageable for an engineering degree. Within a year and a half of graduating, typical students can pay off their loans if they're aggressive about it.

The challenge here is drawing meaningful conclusions: ASU is the only school in Arizona offering this bachelor's program, and the cohort size is small (under 30 students). That limits how much weight you can put on these numbers. The national percentile rankings—62nd for earnings, 35th for debt—suggest solidly middle-of-the-pack performance. You're not getting the premium outcomes of top engineering programs, but you're not overpaying either.

For families prioritizing stability and access, this works. ASU's 90% admission rate means most applicants get in, and the engineering foundation opens doors across manufacturing sectors. Just recognize that with such a small sample, one exceptionally strong or weak cohort could significantly shift these figures. If your child is committed to manufacturing specifically and wants to stay in Arizona, this is a viable path—just not one with enough track record to call it a standout value.