Manufacturing Engineering at Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
72
Optimistic
72
Base Case
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$68,886/yr (-5% vs median)
AI Risk
High (47% exposed)
Job Market
Large (70,000 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Manufacturing Engineering graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $900K | $702K | $508K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 19.7x | 15.3x | 11.1x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 9.7x | 7.6x | 5.5x |
| Viable Career Paths | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 72 | 72 | 66 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$45,800
Out-of-state: $92,840
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,750
3.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$86,375
25% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Manufacturing Engineering graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 70,000 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $167,740 | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% |
| Engineers, all other | $117,750 | 9,300 | +2.1% | 46% |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $106,120 | 4,100 | +8.1% | 50% |
| Industrial engineers | $101,140 | 25,200 | +11.0% | 48% |
| Cost estimators | $77,070 | 16,900 | -4.2% | 50% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Manufacturing Engineering at Texas State University?
This program scores 72/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 72 (optimistic) to 66 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Manufacturing Engineering career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Manufacturing Engineering graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $507,717 (pessimistic) to $900,297 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Manufacturing Engineering graduates?
The career paths mapped to Manufacturing Engineering have roughly 70,000 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Manufacturing Engineering at Texas State University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 15.3x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 11.1x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.