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Manufacturing
What you'll do in college
Manufacturing and industrial technology programs are the hands-on counterparts to mechanical and industrial engineering. Coursework focuses on applied calculus, materials science, and production processes. You will spend significant time in labs and shops—running CNC machines, programming robotic arms, troubleshooting PLCs, and testing prototypes for manufacturability.
What you'll do after college
Graduates go into roles that connect design engineers with the shop floor: manufacturing engineer, quality engineer, automation technician, controls technician, and plant supervisor. Employers include automakers, aerospace firms, defense contractors, and consumer goods producers. The pay is strong, and these roles are highly secure as they require physical interaction with production equipment.
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
By SAT median
Median SAT · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 240 | 8,144 | 83% / 17% | 3% | $85,188 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technology | 47 | 1,224 | 90% / 10% | 3% | $82,599 |
| Electrical Engineering Technology | 70 | 890 | 88% / 12% | 4% | $87,481 |
| Engineering Technologies | 24 | 733 | 82% / 18% | 4% | $83,724 |
| Industrial Technology | 49 | 688 | 77% / 23% | 1% | $75,559 |
| Engineering Technology | 40 | 532 | 86% / 14% | 7% | $82,770 |
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians | 6 | 477 | 83% / 17% | 5% | $90,338 |
| Industrial Technology/Technician | 9 | 376 | 84% / 16% | 1% | $68,434 |
| Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician | 15 | 303 | 92% / 8% | 3% | $88,713 |
| Packaging Science | 8 | 293 | 53% / 47% | 1% | $94,381 |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology | 20 | 228 | 89% / 11% | 2% | $82,494 |
| Computer Engineering Technology | 24 | 223 | 87% / 13% | 4% | $78,776 |
| Automotive Technology | 9 | 175 | 97% / 3% | 1% | $83,519 |
| Applied Engineering | 4 | 144 | 73% / 27% | 10% | $147,633 |
| Drafting and Design Technology/Technician | 4 | 124 | 34% / 66% | 3% | $78,200 |
| Electronic Systems Engineering Technology | 1 | 119 | 90% / 10% | 1% | $94,311 |
| Mechatronics Engineering Technology | 4 | 107 | 84% / 16% | 2% | |
| Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology | 1 | 107 | 93% / 7% | 0% | |
| Electromechanical Engineering Technology | 7 | 103 | 90% / 10% | 0% | |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician | 9 | 99 | 89% / 11% | 4% | $81,539 |
| Energy Systems Technology | 5 | 85 | 88% / 12% | 4% | $123,959 |
| Industrial Engineering Technology | 3 | 81 | 84% / 16% | 12% | $96,572 |
| Industrial Production Technology | 2 | 74 | 91% / 9% | 1% | $93,138 |
| Electronic Engineering Technology | 6 | 47 | 85% / 15% | 9% | $77,540 |
| Applied Technology | 2 | 45 | 89% / 11% | 2% | |
| Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician | 1 | 45 | 89% / 11% | 0% | |
| Automotive Engineering Technology | 1 | 44 | 89% / 11% | 5% | |
| Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician | 2 | 41 | 90% / 10% | 2% | $90,495 |
| Environmental Engineering Technology | 5 | 39 | 49% / 51% | 3% | $91,174 |
| Industrial Safety Technology/Technician | 2 | 36 | 89% / 11% | 0% | $75,948 |
| Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician | 2 | 34 | 94% / 6% | 0% | $78,506 |
| Automation Engineering Technology | 3 | 33 | 91% / 9% | 0% | |
| Plastics Technology | 2 | 33 | 79% / 21% | 0% | $92,340 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 1 | 33 | 45% / 55% | 3% | |
| Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging | 1 | 29 | 93% / 7% | 0% | |
| Power Plant Technology/Technician | 1 | 26 | 92% / 8% | 0% | |
| Robotics Technology | 5 | 25 | 88% / 12% | 0% | |
| Electrical/Mechanical Engineering Technology | 1 | 25 | 88% / 12% | 4% | $85,176 |
| Marine Engineering Technology | 1 | 25 | 92% / 8% | 0% | |
| Industrial Production | 1 | 24 | 96% / 4% | 0% | $82,759 |
| Professional Studies | 1 | 23 | 39% / 61% | 0% | |
| Environmental Sustainability, Health and Safety | 1 | 22 | 36% / 64% | 0% | $81,059 |
| Science Technology | 1 | 22 | 55% / 45% | 0% | $58,958 |
| Advanced Manufacturing and Design | 1 | 21 | 76% / 24% | 14% | $93,109 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 2 | 20 | 85% / 15% | 0% | $85,717 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 2 | 19 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $84,928 |
| Welding Engineering Technology | 2 | 17 | 82% / 18% | 6% | |
| Robotics Engineering Technology | 1 | 17 | 100% / 0% | 6% | |
| Applied Science Technology | 1 | 16 | 56% / 44% | 6% | |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 2 | 15 | 87% / 13% | 7% | $91,944 |
| Diesel Technology | 1 | 15 | 93% / 7% | 0% | $80,201 |
| Industrial Production Technologies | 2 | 14 | 14% / 86% | 0% | |
| Automation Engineer Technology/Technician | 1 | 13 | 100% / 0% | 15% | |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | 1 | 13 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Applied Science | 3 | 12 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Electronics Engineering Technology | 2 | 12 | 100% / 0% | 8% | |
| Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD | 1 | 12 | 58% / 42% | 0% | $57,417 |
| Applied Sciences | 1 | 10 | 10% / 90% | 0% | |
| Manufacturing Systems Technology | 1 | 10 | 80% / 20% | 10% | |
| Nanotechnology | 1 | 10 | 70% / 30% | 10% | |
| Engineering Technology & Management for Agricultural Systems | 1 | 9 | 78% / 22% | 33% | |
| Environmental Technology | 2 | 8 | 50% / 50% | 12% | |
| Plastics Engineering Technology | 1 | 5 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $96,543 |
| Welding Engineering Technology/Technician | 1 | 5 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician | 1 | 4 | 75% / 25% | 0% | |
| Petroleum Technology/Technician | 1 | 4 | 75% / 25% | 0% | $83,509 |
| Welding Technology | 1 | 4 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Aerospace Engineering Technology | 2 | 3 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $90,757 |
| Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians | 2 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | |
| Drafting and Design Technology | 1 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | |
| Energy Systems Technology/Technician | 1 | 3 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Robotics and Manufacturing Engineering Technology | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $85,176 |
| Wood Science and Wood Products/Pulp and Paper Technology/Technician | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $59,261 |
| Chemical Process Technology | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Engineering and Physics Technology | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $36,068 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Nuclear Technology | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Quality Control Technology/Technician | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% |