Duke University
Mathematics
Completion ROI
$5,634,659
Payback
2.7 years
High upside
BACHELORS | KS | PUBLIC
Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University
This page puts upside and risk on the same screen so Degreeli can answer the real question: does this degree path still look worth it once completion friction is part of the math?
Degree Value Scorecard
Mechanical Engineering
Kansas State University
Credential: BACHELORSState: KSData confidence: Medium
Editorial Verdict
Good outcome potential, but families should compare similar programs before treating this as the default choice.
Degreeli Value Score
0Score
Fair Value
Data Confidence: Medium
Directional value
0/100
Estimated Net Cost
$0
Estimated Debt
$0
Early-Career Salary
$0
Mid-Career Salary
$0
Category breakdown
Cost Efficiency
20/20
Cost Efficiency
Debt Risk
15.9/20
Debt Risk
Earnings Outlook
13.6/20
Earnings Outlook
Payback Timeline
9/15
Payback Timeline
Completion / Outcome Confidence
8.4/10
Completion / Outcome Confidence
Graduate Worth-It Reviews
5/10
Graduate Worth-It Reviews
Parent / Student Clarity Signal
2.5/5
Parent / Student Clarity Signal
Cost and debt
Estimated net cost
$77,624
Estimated debt
$40,364
Debt risk
Moderate
Salary and outcome outlook
Early-career salary
$69,056
Mid-career salary
$113,322
Salary outlook
Strong
Payback estimate
Payback years
0.0 years
Completion/outcome
Moderate completion signal
Review signals
Graduate review rating
4.1 / 5
Parent review signal
Parent signal is favorable if aid holds
Student signal
Student fit depends on internships, advising, and career support
Sample scorecard preview
Kansas State University
Mechanical Engineering
Degreeli Value Score
74/ 100
Fair ValueMedium confidence
Estimated Debt
$42K
Early Salary
$54K
Payback
Moderate
Reviews
4.1 / 5
Good outcome potential, but cost control matters. Compare aid packages and lower-debt alternatives before committing.
Strengths and risks
Top strengths
- Cost looks efficient relative to expected early-career pay.
- Completion/outcome signal supports the value case.
Main risks
- Graduate review signal is limited or modeled.
Why this score?
Fair Value is a Degreeli Value Score v1 directional read based on modeled cost ($77,624), estimated debt ($40,364), early-career salary ($69,056), payback, completion, and review signals. The strongest signal is that cost looks efficient relative to expected early-career pay. The main caution is that graduate review signal is limited or modeled. Data confidence is medium, so this should support comparison rather than act as a guarantee.
The Degreeli Value Score is directional, not a guarantee of salary, employment, or personal financial outcome.
Better-value alternatives
Best current alternative
Mathematics
Duke University
Degreeli Score
89/100
Debt
$22,950
Payback
2.7 years
Better-value alternative
Finance and Financial Management Services
University of Pennsylvania
Degreeli Score
89/100
Debt
$20,400
Payback
2.4 years
Better-value alternative
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
Columbia University
Degreeli Score
89/100
Debt
$15,300
Payback
1.8 years
Methodology and data confidence
Data confidence is medium. Cost, salary, payback, review, and outcome fields should be read as decision support, not financial advice.
MethodologyPrograms
Inspect this path, then stack it against alternatives.
Current school + degree
Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University
Expand the core read on debt, salary, payback, review context, and score confidence before comparing.
74
Fair Value
Current school + degree
Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University
Expand the core read on debt, salary, payback, review context, and score confidence before comparing.
74
Fair Value
Data Confidence
Medium
Estimated Debt
$40,364
Early Salary
$69,056
Payback
5.8 years
Worth-It Rating
4.1 / 5
Strengths
Cost looks efficient relative to expected early-career pay.
Completion/outcome signal supports the value case.
Risks
Graduate review signal is limited or modeled.
Good outcome potential, but families should compare similar programs before treating this as the default choice.
Better-value alternatives
Compare nearby paths before deciding.
These are sample comparison options from the current preview catalog, not a claim of full national coverage.
Expand
Better-value alternatives
Compare nearby paths before deciding.
These are sample comparison options from the current preview catalog, not a claim of full national coverage.
University of Pennsylvania
Finance and Financial Management Services
Completion ROI
$5,994,269
Payback
2.4 years
Columbia University
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
Completion ROI
$5,919,991
Payback
1.8 years
Bottom Line
High upside
Mechanical Engineering looks viable, but not automatic. It still produces positive ROI after completion adjustment, which means the upside survives a more realistic enrollment path.
The main thing to watch is slippage between ideal and risk-adjusted outcomes. Degreeli estimates that completion risk trims about $489,626 off the on-time case here.
$19,406 School Net Price
71% School Graduation Rate
Risk Lens
How much value disappears once completion risk is acknowledged?
Ideal Case
$1,693,036
Risk-Adjusted Case
$1,203,410
Value At Risk
$489,626
Degreeli uses this gap to show how much value depends on finishing the program and reaching the expected outcome.
Verified reviews
Verified reviews of Mechanical Engineering
Only approved reviews tied to Kansas State University and this specific program appear here. Reviewer identities stay private while verification badges explain how affiliation was checked.
No approved reviews yet.
Degreeli publishes only reviews that pass email verification, affiliation checks, automated screening, and moderator approval. Be the first to submit a verified review for this page.
Career AI Exposure
Moderate Exposure (52/100)
This path looks mixed: some tasks are AI-sensitive while human context still matters.
AI Exposure is a second lens beside ROI. It should inform comparison, not replace judgment.
Directional estimate from BACHELORS taxonomy and program naming patterns. Replace with occupation-linked datasets as coverage expands.
Exposure Components
Read AI risk as task mix, not destiny.
Entry-Level Friction
56/100
Human Judgment Premium
66/100
Physical-World Durability
48/100
Higher exposure does not mean a path is bad. It means families should compare specialization paths, skill depth, and adaptation speed alongside ROI.
Compare Next
What should a family stack against this path?
Duke University | BACHELORS
Mathematics
Completion-Adjusted ROI
$5,634,659
Years To Recoup
2.7 years
University of Pennsylvania | MASTERS
Finance and Financial Management Services
Completion-Adjusted ROI
$5,994,269
Years To Recoup
2.4 years
Columbia University | GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
Completion-Adjusted ROI
$5,919,991
Years To Recoup
1.8 years
Same Field, Other Schools
The school can change the value story, even inside the same discipline.
Alabama A&M University
Mechanical Engineering
Completion-adjusted ROI: $402,583
Compare RouteCompare Side By SideAlfred University
Mechanical Engineering
Completion-adjusted ROI: $847,042
Compare RouteCompare Side By SideArizona State University
Mechanical Engineering
Completion-adjusted ROI: $1,253,251
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