Mechanical Engineering at Montana Technological University

Montana Tech's mechanical engineering graduates start at $73,901—outearning both the national median ($70,744) and Montana State's program ($68,469). With $25,750 in debt, the debt-to-earnings ratio sits at a manageable 0.35, meaning graduates owe roughly four months of salary. That's better than many engineering programs at schools with higher sticker prices.

The challenge here is the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates means one exceptional year or a few outliers can skew the picture significantly. Still, Montana Tech's reputation as a focused STEM school in a resource-heavy state gives this data some credibility. The 90% admission rate makes it accessible, and graduates aren't sacrificing earnings for that accessibility.

For Montana families, this program offers strong in-state value, particularly if your student prefers a smaller campus in Butte over Bozeman. The earnings advantage over Montana State isn't dramatic, but combined with lower debt than many engineering programs nationwide, Montana Tech delivers what parents want: graduates who can actually afford their loans while building technical careers. Just recognize the data's limitations—this isn't a massive program with hundreds of graduates to validate the trends.