Mechanical Engineering at Manhattan University

Manhattan University's mechanical engineering program sits right in the middle nationally but punches above its weight in New York, ranking in the 60th percentile among the state's 24 programs. The $81,951 median salary four years out beats both the state median ($68,407) and national median ($70,744), suggesting graduates are finding solid engineering roles in the competitive New York metro market. With just $27,000 in debt—substantially less than most engineering programs—this creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38, meaning graduates owe roughly 5 months of their starting salary.

The 16% earnings growth from year one to year four is respectable, and while Manhattan doesn't match Cornell's $85,440 or even SUNY Maritime's $77,895, it costs far less to attend and produces outcomes that keep pace with pricier private alternatives like RPI. For families concerned about engineering education costs, this program delivers credentialed mechanical engineering training without the debt burden that often accompanies it.

The moderate sample size means these numbers could shift with different graduating cohorts, but the fundamentals are sound: reasonable debt, middle-of-the-pack starting salaries that grow steadily, and performance that exceeds most New York competitors. For students who can get solid grades but aren't chasing Ivy League admissions, this represents a practical path into mechanical engineering careers.