Bachelor's · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Is Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 2 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $87,270
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $107,385
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $18,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $82k (likely $82k – $111k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $72k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in LA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 2 years (likely 1.7–2.5)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $450k (likely $350k – $560k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $1.29M (likely $1.05M – $1.55M)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 68%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 20%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Mechanical Engineering at other schools
🏗️ Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward engineering & architecture majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Calculus AB or BC
- AP Physics 1
- AP Physics C: Mechanics
- AP Chemistry
IB Higher Level
- Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL
- Physics HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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- Construction Management (Master's)$106,632
- Law (First professional)$103,602
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- Construction Management (Post-baccalaureate certificate)$103,041
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- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$95,302
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