@popwarner1 as a Texas Ex I can confirm that you are correct that if the student is admitted to their preferred major at UT-Austin, then they are guaranteed that major. Internal transfers to engineering and business majors from other undergraduate programs are extremely competitive and rarely accomplished.
Also, I think you can find more updated data on average salaries, including co-ops and internships for UT-Austin engineering at the link below. According to UT-Austin the 2013 “starting salary” for UT Austin mechanical engineers with a bachelors was $71,484.
http://www.engr.utexas.edu/ecac/salaries
I have no idea how any of these numbers compare to UA, my son will be one of those starving liberal arts grads so the $40,000 in savings at Bama can be utilized for graduate/law school tuition.
Roll Tide and Hook’em.
It is also important to consider the influence of location on salary. For example Mechanical Engineering grads from University of Houston earn $7,000 more in starting salary than those from UT Austin. University of Houston doesn’t even appear on your top twenty Mechanical Engineering Programs list above. I think it’s pretty likely that Houston needs engineers and will offer good pay to grads from any accredited program willing to move and work there.
http://esm.collegemeasures.org/esm/texas/area-of-study/profile/Mechanical-Engineering-141901
@AlbionGirl, you are correct. With Houston being the oil capitol for the US, engineering grads at UH have a competitive advantage in getting engineering jobs in that marketplace. Additonally, there are many LSU engineering grads in the Houston area who are compensated quite handsomely.
Moreover, since UT-Austin, A&M and UH graduates predominatley (although not exclusively) end up working in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin or El Paso…its no surprise that have higher starting salaries than Bama graduates who may begin their careers in markets in the the southeast where salaries and cost of living are lower, although I’m not certain how much lower the cost of living really is.
In any event, geography is another thing that OP might want to consider. Of course there likely are Bama engineering graduates in Houston, its just that they are far outnumbered by graduates from UT-Austin, A&M and UH.
<<<<< For example Mechanical Engineering grads from University of Houston earn $7,000 more in starting salary than those from UT Austin >>>
Thats cuz the Houston engineers have to pay $7k more per year for air conditioning. 