Mechanical Engineering at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

UT Knoxville's mechanical engineering program lands squarely in the middle of Tennessee's options—not the state's strongest performer, but delivering solid fundamentals at a reasonable price. Starting salaries of $66,000 trail the national median by about $5,000, placing graduates in the bottom quarter nationally. Within Tennessee, this ranks 40th percentile, meaning six of the state's eleven programs produce higher-earning graduates. Vanderbilt leads at $78,000, while even University of Memphis graduates earn $3,600 more initially.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $23,250, graduates owe slightly less than both state and national medians, creating a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio. Strong earnings growth—23% by year four, reaching $81,000—suggests graduates gain value as they advance in their careers. This is a large, well-established program (100+ graduates tracked), so these patterns are reliable indicators of what to expect.

For families choosing between Tennessee engineering schools, this represents the safe, affordable flagship option rather than the highest-performing one. If your student gained admission to Vanderbilt or could attend Memphis at comparable cost, those programs show stronger immediate returns. But UT Knoxville delivers accredited mechanical engineering training with manageable debt and respectable mid-career prospects—a dependable foundation for an engineering career, even if not the state's most competitive launch point.