Mechanical Engineering at University of Connecticut

UConn's mechanical engineering program delivers exactly what you'd expect from a flagship state university: solid starting salaries around $75,000 and manageable debt of $23,000. Graduates outpace the national median by roughly $4,000 and sit right at Connecticut's median—which makes sense given that the top five programs in the state all cluster around this same earnings level. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31, your child would owe roughly four months' salary, a comfortable position that allows for career flexibility and reasonable loan payoff timelines.

What distinguishes this outcome is the consistency across UConn's campuses and the trajectory: graduates see 10% earnings growth to $82,000 by year four, with the robust sample size (100+ graduates) confirming these aren't outliers. While this doesn't rank among elite engineering programs nationally, it performs in the 76th percentile—better than three-quarters of mechanical engineering programs nationwide. The numbers suggest a program that reliably places graduates into Connecticut's manufacturing and aerospace sectors at competitive rates.

For a moderately selective public university with 54% admission, this represents strong value. Your child gets reliable engineering employment outcomes without the financial strain that derails many graduates. The main limitation is upside: those seeking exceptional starting pay might look elsewhere, but for students who want solid engineering careers without excessive debt, this delivers.