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Mechanical Engineering at University of Maine

Orono, ME · Public · Bachelor's Degree
69 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
71
Optimistic
69
Base Case
63
Pessimistic
Earnings $69,687/yr (-1% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (53% exposed)
Job Market Large (58,100 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Mechanical Engineering graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $907K $700K $490K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.0x 13.9x 9.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.4x 4.9x 3.5x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 5 5 of 5 5 of 5
DegreeWorth Score 71 69 63

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$50,424
Out-of-state: $141,384
Median Debt at Graduation
$26,073
4.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$87,105
25% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Mechanical Engineering graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 58,100 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Aerospace engineers $134,830 4,500 +6.1% 57%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%
Mechanical engineers $102,320 18,100 +9.1% 66%
Cost estimators $77,070 16,900 -4.2% 50%

Compare & Explore

Mechanical Engineering at Other Schools

California State University Maritime Academy ($92,315) Duke University ($89,938) University of California-Berkeley ($88,497) Franklin W Olin College of Engineering ($87,590) Cornell University ($85,440) Princeton University ($85,328) University of Notre Dame ($84,999) Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($83,957)

Other Majors at University of Maine

Chemical Engineering ($78,838) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($77,737) Computer Science ($77,046) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($77,037) Computer Engineering ($75,282) Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($73,692) Construction Engineering Technologies ($65,540) Civil Engineering ($64,785)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Mechanical Engineering at University of Maine?
This program scores 69/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 71 (optimistic) to 63 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Mechanical Engineering career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Mechanical Engineering graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $490,165 (pessimistic) to $907,221 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Mechanical Engineering graduates?
The career paths mapped to Mechanical Engineering have roughly 58,100 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Mechanical Engineering at University of Maine worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 13.9x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 9.7x. 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.