Mechanical Engineering at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus

UNH's mechanical engineering program hits the sweet spot of solid earnings with manageable debt. Graduates start at $70,865 and climb to $79,110 by year four—a respectable 12% bump that tracks with national engineering salary progressions. The real story here is the debt picture: at $27,000, students borrow just slightly more than the national median, but that translates to a 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio, placing this program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt burden. That means 95% of mechanical engineering programs leave students with worse debt situations.

Within New Hampshire's limited landscape (just two schools offer this degree), UNH sits at the 60th percentile for earnings while matching the state median for debt. The program performs exactly at the national earnings median too, which tells you this isn't a standout program for maximizing income, but it's firmly middle-of-the-pack among nearly 400 mechanical engineering programs nationwide.

For families weighing this option, the math is straightforward: your child graduates with debt they can realistically handle on a first-year engineer's salary, and earnings trajectory suggests they'll be comfortably clearing that debt while building toward typical mid-career mechanical engineering compensation. The 87% admission rate makes this accessible, and the value proposition holds up even without the premium polish of more selective programs.