Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University

Saginaw Valley State's mechanical engineering program punches well above its weight, placing graduates in the 87th percentile nationally for earnings—far better than you'd expect from a school with a 73% admission rate and modest SAT scores. First-year engineers earn $76,823, surpassing the national median by over $6,000. Within Michigan, the program sits comfortably at the 60th percentile, landing just above the state median and not far behind flagship schools like Michigan State ($80,259).

The debt picture strengthens the value case considerably. At $26,679, graduates carry slightly less than the state median and rank in the 29th percentile nationally for debt—meaning 71% of programs leave students with more debt. The 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly four months of salary, which is highly manageable for an engineering degree. Earnings grow modestly to $81,775 by year four, showing solid career progression without dramatic jumps.

For families balancing cost and outcomes, this represents a straightforward win. You're getting top-quartile national earnings without the premium price tag or ultra-competitive admissions of elite engineering schools. The program delivers Michigan-typical engineering salaries with below-average debt—exactly the combination that makes a degree pay off quickly.