Mechanical Engineering at University of Miami

University of Miami's mechanical engineering graduates start modestly at $67K but see their earnings jump 40% to $93K by year four—one of the stronger growth trajectories you'll find in engineering. That said, first-year earnings trail both national and Florida medians, landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. With UF grads starting at $76K and programs like FIU and USF clustering around $70-71K, UM sits toward the back of the pack among Florida's public universities.

The $19,000 debt burden partially offsets the slower start—it's below both state and national medians, though still higher than ideal compared to many programs' debt-to-earnings ratios. The real uncertainty here comes from sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, a few outliers could skew these numbers significantly. That fourth-year earnings figure of $93K could reflect just a handful of exceptional outcomes rather than typical career progression.

For families paying private school tuition at a 19% acceptance rate institution, the question is whether the Miami network and brand justify starting $5-10K behind nearby public alternatives. If your child has comparable offers from UF or Florida Tech, those programs show stronger immediate returns. But if the small sample proves representative, UM grads who stick with engineering may eventually catch up.