Mechanical Engineering at University of San Diego

University of San Diego's mechanical engineering program places graduates well above the national median, but the real story emerges when you look at California's competitive landscape. While first-year earnings of $77,962 rank in the 94th percentile nationally, they land at the 60th percentile among California's 29 mechanical engineering programs—solidly middle-of-the-pack in a state where UC Berkeley, Cal Poly SLO, and several others offer significantly stronger earning outcomes. The program costs about $7,000 more in debt than the California median, which matters when comparable results are available elsewhere.

The fundamentals remain solid: a 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable loan payments, and 14% earnings growth over four years shows reasonable career progression. Graduates aren't struggling financially. However, for a private university charging premium tuition, the outcomes don't justify a significant cost advantage over strong public alternatives. Cal Poly SLO graduates, for instance, earn $5,000 more annually while typically carrying less debt.

This program works if your child has USD-specific reasons to attend—perhaps they're already committed to San Diego or value the smaller class sizes at a private institution. But if you're comparison shopping purely on return on investment, California's top-tier public engineering programs deliver better value. The quality is good; the premium just isn't reflected in the earnings data.