Mechanical Engineering at Duke University

Durham, NC · Bachelor's Degree · about 73 graduates a year

$89,938
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$120,991
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$92,135
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#4 of 318
Rank by pay
#1 of 318
Rank, wage-adjusted
$10,000
Median federal debt

Duke University graduates in mechanical engineering earn 31% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 8% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Duke University Compares for Mechanical Engineering

All 318 colleges reporting mechanical engineering earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA$131,967$116,211#3$83,957
2California State University Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA$126,395$115,011#5$92,315
3Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA$122,111$111,113#10$81,865
4Duke University Durham, NC$120,991$129,841#1$89,938
5University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA$119,371$108,620#16$88,497
6Stanford University Stanford, CA$117,072$106,528#28—
7Princeton University Princeton, NJ$115,927$101,747#53$85,328
8University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA$114,492$116,439#2$66,876
9Cornell University Ithaca, NY$112,212$106,803#27$85,440
10Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY$111,491$106,116#32$72,036

Other Mechanical Engineering Credentials at Duke University

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree—$139,868—

Other Majors at Duke University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Mathematics$297,029$121,088#1 of 309
Computer Science$195,809$133,356#14 of 349
Computer Engineering$174,522$111,145#4 of 189
Economics$161,149$98,649#2 of 368
Statistics$152,782$97,197#3 of 50
History$112,377$60,750#2 of 459
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$105,921$69,873#16 of 118
Public Policy Analysis$103,071$60,501#3 of 34
Public Health$101,771$45,921#1 of 215
Political Science and Government$88,459$54,970#21 of 565
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$88,098—#1 of 90
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$87,763$77,288#432 of 966
Biology$83,192$30,939#15 of 841
Anthropology$81,120$43,924#2 of 188
International and Comparative Education$79,640$40,723—
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$73,435$28,121#11 of 265
Psychology$73,359$33,559#17 of 1027
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$73,140$37,208#14 of 67
Sociology$61,425$45,551#69 of 462
Research and Experimental Psychology—$39,359—
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—$30,154—
Chemistry—$29,748—
English Language and Literature—$20,483—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Duke University mechanical engineering graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $89,938 one year after graduating and $120,991 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Duke University rank for mechanical engineering?

Among 318 colleges reporting earnings for mechanical engineering graduates, Duke University ranks #4 by median pay four years after graduation, and #1 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is mechanical engineering at Duke University worth it?

Its graduates earn 31% more than the national median for mechanical engineering ($92,135), and the median federal debt at graduation is $10,000.

← All data for Duke University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.