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Engineering Mechanics at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Public · Bachelor's Degree
71 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
72
Optimistic
71
Base Case
65
Pessimistic
Earnings $72,612/yr (-6% vs median)
AI Risk High (51% exposed)
Job Market Large (46,000 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $891K $731K $529K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 19.9x 16.3x 11.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.5x 4.5x 3.3x
Viable Career Paths 4 of 4 4 of 4 4 of 4
DegreeWorth Score 72 71 65

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$44,820
Out-of-state: $162,412
Median Debt at Graduation
$23,500
3.9 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$86,480
19% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Engineering Mechanics graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 46,000 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%
Mechanical engineers $102,320 18,100 +9.1% 66%

Compare & Explore

Engineering Mechanics at Other Schools

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ($81,735)

Other Majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Chemical Engineering ($85,945) Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods ($83,260) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($82,018) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($80,566) Industrial Engineering ($80,435) Insurance ($78,796) Materials Engineering ($76,662) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($75,513)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Engineering Mechanics at University of Wisconsin-Madison?
This program scores 71/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 72 (optimistic) to 65 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Engineering Mechanics career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Engineering Mechanics graduates retain 4 of 4 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $529,357 (pessimistic) to $890,881 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Engineering Mechanics graduates?
The career paths mapped to Engineering Mechanics have roughly 46,000 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Engineering Mechanics at University of Wisconsin-Madison worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 16.3x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 11.8x. 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.