Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians at Eastern Washington University

Four years out, this program's graduates earn $69,819—a solid figure that outpaces both the national median for mechanical engineering technology bachelor's degrees ($62,503) and the Washington state average ($65,871). That trajectory matters because peer programs in this field suggest starting salaries around $62,500, putting the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.41 based on an estimated $25,500 in borrowing.

The challenge here is visibility. With such a small cohort that the Department of Education can't publish specific outcomes for Eastern Washington's program, you're essentially betting on whether this school can replicate what similar programs achieve nationally. The four-year earnings figure is actual, which offers some reassurance—graduates who stick it out do reach competitive salaries. But the first-year number and debt load are educated guesses drawn from comparable programs elsewhere, not tracked outcomes from EWU's specific graduates.

For an accessible state school serving a significant share of Pell-eligible students, the projected debt load sits below the national median for these programs ($27,000), which helps offset the uncertainty. If your student is mechanically inclined and wants to stay in Washington, where engineering technology roles tend to pay well, this could work—just know you're making that call with less program-specific evidence than you'd ideally have.