Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University

Oklahoma Christian's mechanical engineering program shows starting salaries about $5,000 below the state median—a meaningful gap when Oklahoma itself isn't known for premium engineering wages. While $65,764 isn't catastrophic for a first job, it places graduates at the 40th percentile among Oklahoma's five engineering programs, trailing peers at OU, UCO, and Oklahoma State by roughly $4,000-6,000. The $23,000 median debt is reasonable, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35, but you're paying similar debt for notably lower returns than competing state schools.

The 11% earnings bump to $73,212 by year four suggests graduates do advance, though the small sample size (under 30 students) makes it hard to know if this pattern holds consistently. With a 97% admission rate and modest academic profile, OKC serves a different student population than flagship engineering programs, which may explain some of the earnings gap—but that doesn't make the gap less real for your wallet.

If your child has admission offers from OU or Oklahoma State, those programs deliver stronger early returns at similar debt levels. Oklahoma Christian might work for a student who needs the smaller environment or values the Christian mission, but purely as an engineering investment, the state's larger programs offer better value.