Mechanical Engineering at Midwestern State University

Midwestern State's mechanical engineering program lands in the bottom quarter of Texas engineering schools, with first-year earnings of $56,371—about $10,000 below the state median and nearly $15,000 behind the national benchmark. Among the state's 28 programs, this ranks at the 25th percentile, meaning three-quarters of Texas mechanical engineering graduates start their careers earning more. The gap with top programs is stark: UT Austin and Texas A&M graduates earn roughly $25,000 more right out of school.

The $31,000 debt load adds another layer of concern. While the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 isn't catastrophic, it's substantially higher than the typical mechanical engineering program where debt usually sits around $24,000 nationally. The earnings trajectory does improve—jumping 19% to $67,147 by year four—but that still leaves graduates trailing both state and national medians four years into their careers.

The critical caveat here is sample size: fewer than 30 graduates reported data, which means a few outliers could skew the picture significantly. For a field that typically offers strong, reliable returns, these numbers suggest either the program struggles to place students in competitive positions or the data simply doesn't capture the full graduate experience. Given the university's 87% admission rate and high Pell Grant population, it may serve students who need an accessible path to engineering—but families should verify these outcomes with the school directly before committing.