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Mechanical Engineering

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

You'll study the intersection of classical physics and modern automation. Expect foundational courses like statics, dynamics, and thermodynamics, heavily blended with electrical circuits, sensor integration, and computer programming. You'll spend plenty of time in machine shops, but also working with microcontrollers, actuators, and CAD software. Senior design projects often involve building autonomous vehicles, robotic arms, or a Formula SAE car as a team. The work bridges the gap between hardware and software, making it exhausting but incredibly rewarding when your creation moves on its own.

What you'll do after college

Grads work at robotics companies, automakers, consumer-product manufacturers, tech giants, and industrial automation firms. A typical day mixes CAD work, writing control code, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and debugging mechatronic systems. The work is tangible: your designs become physical machines that manufacture goods, assist in surgeries, or drive themselves.

Pay is strong, and the demand for engineers who understand both mechanical systems and the code that runs them is skyrocketing.

Famous graduates

  • Gwynne Shotwell — President and COO of SpaceX; B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University
  • Bill Nye — "The Science Guy" and science communicator; B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$98,092
1,674
100–94%
$95,765
3,418
94–88%
$96,977
5,082
88–80%
$99,412
6,863
80–69%
$97,169
6,731
69–45%
$99,111
5,174
45–29%
$103,477
3,339
29–8%
$112,649
1,741
8–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$97,579
1,436
400–1060
$97,894
2,810
1060–1130
$98,653
4,227
1130–1200
$98,391
5,703
1200–1280
$99,039
5,672
1290–1360
$98,848
4,128
1360–1450
$104,810
2,915
1450–1510
$114,548
1,419
1510–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category

$87,928p10 $108,388p90 Art & Music STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% Savannah College of Art and Design · $92,142 Johnson & Wales University - Providence · $83,588 United States Merchant Marine Academy · $100,180 Stevens Institute of Technology · $100,497 Maine Maritime Academy · $108,183 Florida Institute of Technology · $95,204 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $101,926 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $98,625 Rochester Institute of Technology · $97,883 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $92,637 Kettering University · $104,049 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $89,666 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $96,842 SUNY Maritime College · $110,093 Cal Poly - Pomona · $95,175 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $97,635 Virginia Military Institute · $86,111 Florida Polytechnic University · $74,334 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $86,549 Clarkson University · $90,672 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $100,796 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $94,202 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $98,129 Lawrence Technological University · $99,131 Montana Technological University · $82,542 Michigan Technological University · $95,299 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $98,428 Oregon Institute of Technology · $89,884 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $112,113 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $96,339 Cal State Maritime Academy · $118,807 Lafayette College · $109,587 Bucknell University · $102,651 Union College · $90,425 Grove City College · $97,294 Friends University · $96,616 Dordt University · $95,051 North Central College · $95,512 Loras College · $95,424 Lipscomb University · $95,791 Illinois College · $88,658 York College of Pennsylvania · $94,705 Schreiner University · $93,451 University of Georgia · $98,771 Southern University and A&M College · $110,507 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $101,185 Binghamton University · $86,051 San Diego State University · $91,012 Alabama A&M University · $97,171 University of California, Santa Barbara · $102,876 North Carolina State University · $97,108 University of South Florida · $88,895 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $100,692 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $101,606 University of Washington · $97,614 Clemson University · $97,585 University of Central Florida · $92,910 Purdue University · $106,142 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $94,356 University of Maryland, College Park · $99,518 Cal State Long Beach · $90,983 University of California, Davis · $101,601 State University of New York at New Paltz · $82,742 Auburn University · $108,388 Stony Brook University · $93,035 Ohio State University · $103,060 North Carolina A&T State University · $92,041 Texas A&M University - College Station · $111,768 Cal State Fullerton · $87,775 Northern Illinois University · $93,401 Tarleton State University · $71,469 University of West Florida · $84,172 University of Connecticut · $93,161 Virginia Tech · $102,415 Pennsylvania State University · $95,968 University of South Carolina · $98,522 New Mexico State University · $103,503 CUNY City College · $93,057 Central Connecticut State University · $101,800 University of Arkansas at Little Rock · $93,761 Florida Atlantic University · $86,254 West Texas A&M University · $97,010 Central State University · $79,922 University of Pittsburgh · $98,237 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $96,854 University of New Mexico · $106,686 Florida International University · $89,927 College of New Jersey · $97,301 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $85,268 Southern Arkansas University · $103,166 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $100,417 Fresno State · $78,629 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $93,793 University of Texas Permian Basin · $93,131 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $87,995 Eastern Michigan University · $96,729 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $96,049 University of North Florida · $93,361 McNeese State University · $127,969 Texas Tech University · $106,645 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $101,784 University of Texas at Dallas · $89,129 Georgia Southern University · $100,171 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $105,763 Tennessee State University · $88,644 University of Colorado Boulder · $95,127 Louisiana State University · $119,350 University of Alabama · $105,036 University of Delaware · $94,314 College of Charleston · $95,928 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $99,812 Louisiana Tech University · $109,831 Wright State University · $95,875 Western Illinois University · $104,023 Wichita State University · $103,335 University of Vermont · $91,107 Oklahoma State University · $101,313 University of Arkansas · $101,105 Miami University - Ohio · $99,224 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $104,327 University of Michigan - Flint · $97,229 University of Colorado Denver · $96,545 University of Rhode Island · $94,206 University of Idaho · $94,772 University of Louisville · $107,199 University of Tennessee, Martin · $95,915 University of Houston · $101,897 University of Illinois Chicago · $90,758 Purdue University Northwest · $96,161 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $99,085 University of South Carolina Upstate · $86,923 Rowan University · $95,477 Prairie View A&M University · $111,992 University of Missouri · $105,698 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $101,735 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $97,745 Middle Tennessee State University · $107,934 University of Louisiana at Lafayette · $108,960 University of New Hampshire · $92,593 Youngstown State University · $94,857 Arkansas State University · $94,623 Saginaw Valley State University · $87,990 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $97,585 Oregon State University · $93,955 Columbus State University · $98,531 Tennessee Technological University · $98,811 Kennesaw State University · $97,964 Angelo State University · $86,783 University of Iowa · $99,192 Portland State University · $92,882 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · $86,126 Texas A&M University - Texarkana · $86,535 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $102,738 University of Toledo · $98,027 San Jose State University · $112,860 University at Buffalo · $89,480 University of Texas at Arlington · $94,695 University of Central Oklahoma · $96,599 University of New Orleans · $111,938 University of North Texas · $93,153 Eastern Washington University · $83,695 Kent State University at Kent · $87,212 Morgan State University · $92,175 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $90,583 University of North Dakota · $108,763 University of Utah · $99,669 Ferris State University · $90,595 University of Washington - Tacoma · $97,305 Purdue University Fort Wayne · $88,435 Western Michigan University · $93,217 University of Nevada, Reno · $91,820 Michigan State University · $104,518 Stephen F. Austin State University · $87,242 Lamar University · $120,950 University of Arizona · $97,147 Mississippi State University · $116,239 Wayne State University · $105,273 Boise State University · $98,598 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $96,469 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $102,155 University of South Carolina - Aiken · $93,180 Saint Cloud State University · $96,164 South Dakota State University · $95,470 Southern Utah University · $97,527 University of Akron · $96,003 University of Maine · $93,791 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $94,484 West Virginia University · $99,226 Ohio University · $100,401 University of Southern Maine · $96,778 Francis Marion University · $88,960 University of California, Riverside · $88,381 Washington State University · $99,864 Temple University · $94,219 University of Washington - Bothell · $97,305 George Mason University · $94,695 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $92,402 Iowa State University · $94,685 Cal State Northridge · $91,215 University of Cincinnati · $97,259 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $90,865 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $96,172 Arizona State University · $96,515 Cleveland State University · $92,486 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $95,407 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $99,630 Virginia State University · $80,708 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $93,106 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $96,858 Oakland University · $101,554 Northern Arizona University · $91,392 Cal State Los Angeles · $84,885 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $103,727 Central Michigan University · $92,495 University of Texas at San Antonio · $93,260 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay · $84,424 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $92,249 Chico State · $93,796 Texas State University · $95,972 Old Dominion University · $94,199 Western Kentucky University · $96,295 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $93,200 North Dakota State University · $98,857 Pennsylvania State University - Abington · $101,691 Pennsylvania State University - Altoona · $100,409 Pennsylvania State University - Berks · $94,921 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $95,766 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $95,066 Pennsylvania State University - Scranton · $95,404 Utah State University · $96,525 University of Kansas · $100,601 Virginia Commonwealth University · $95,545 Grand Valley State University · $96,345 San Francisco State University · $96,535 University of Memphis · $102,183 University of Kentucky · $104,667 Cal State Sacramento · $89,835 Western Washington University · $97,580 University of Alabama at Birmingham · $101,790 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $95,483 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $101,268 University of South Alabama · $98,721 University of Texas at Tyler · $102,981 Kansas State University · $103,512 Midwestern State University · $90,317 University of Wyoming · $91,518 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $90,560 University of California, Merced · $97,472 University of Southern Indiana · $99,606 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $99,001 Marshall University · $100,913 Idaho State University · $89,058 University of Mississippi · $108,843 Arkansas Tech University · $103,063 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $92,113 Montana State University · $93,596 University of Texas at El Paso · $97,871 Lake Superior State University · $88,655 Navajo Technical University · $97,638 University of the District of Columbia · $91,059 Utah Valley University · $91,763 Weber State University · $102,083 Union University · $94,623 Santa Clara University · $114,549 Southern Methodist University · $110,168 Loyola Marymount University · $91,372 Liberty University · $89,168 Baylor University · $94,804 John Brown University · $99,788 University of San Diego · $95,354 LeTourneau University · $97,523 Walla Walla University · $94,762 Alvernia University · $95,002 William Penn University · $89,796 Howard Payne University · $82,258 Milligan University · $96,797 University of Dayton · $96,090 Anderson University · $92,714 Cedarville University · $94,598 Harding University · $87,627 Manhattan University · $100,830 Franciscan University of Steubenville · $88,633 Merrimack College · $90,509 University of Evansville · $94,914 North Park University · $88,106 Rockhurst University · $97,112 Brigham Young University · $99,226 California Baptist University · $87,676 Ohio Northern University · $102,513 Xavier University of Louisiana · $86,520 University of Detroit Mercy · $103,267 Southern Adventist University · $100,438 Saint Louis University · $109,963 University of Tulsa · $117,809 University of Jamestown · $95,578 Marquette University · $103,106 University of Indianapolis · $91,348 Saint Vincent College · $87,928 University of Mary · $93,116 Gonzaga University · $96,446 University of Mount Union · $85,679 St. Ambrose University · $112,606 University of Scranton · $100,105 University of Portland · $86,057 Messiah University · $89,725 Seattle University · $93,800 Grace College and Theological Seminary · $87,606 Otterbein University · $94,436 Gannon University · $89,767 Catholic University of America · $98,076 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $93,629 Valparaiso University · $98,733 Seattle Pacific University · $93,586 St. Mary's University · $88,219 George Fox University · $96,381 Saint Martin's University · $94,813 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $91,666 Christian Brothers University · $92,733 Oklahoma Christian University · $89,081 University of Saint Thomas (TX) · $93,820 Benedictine College · $115,102 Case Western Reserve University · $99,163 University of Rochester · $105,079 Howard University · $108,872 George Washington University · $102,118 Tuskegee University · $96,872 Syracuse University · $97,052 Illinois Institute of Technology · $93,243 Jacksonville University · $95,255 Quinnipiac University · $85,596 University of New Haven · $94,076 Hofstra University · $81,475 University of the Pacific · $92,743 Indiana Institute of Technology · $92,854 Alfred University · $83,174 Bradley University · $98,345 Trine University · $91,131 Drexel University · $100,003 New York Institute of Technology · $89,253 Thomas Jefferson University · $78,514 Point Park University · $82,505 University of Bridgeport · $96,022 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus · $89,277 Widener University · $91,856 University of Denver · $94,062 Norwich University · $86,216 Robert Morris University · $93,559 Western New England University · $98,385 Wilkes University · $87,945 University of Hartford · $91,432 National University · $84,998 Lehigh University · $103,775 University of Florida · $101,573 Florida State University · $101,835 University of Texas at Austin · $114,375 University of California, San Diego · $97,598 University of California, Irvine · $90,275 Fairfield University · $98,444 Villanova University · $103,970 United States Coast Guard Academy · $99,406 Colorado School of Mines · $97,712 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $104,654 Tufts University · $106,487 Carnegie Mellon University · $123,566 University of Southern California · $102,681 Washington University in St Louis · $104,325 Boston University · $95,858 Northeastern University · $107,932 University of Miami · $83,604 University of California, Berkeley · $105,881 Georgia Tech · $106,161 University of Virginia · $97,645 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $110,712 Florida A&M University · $83,323 Cooper Union · $102,822 United States Air Force Academy · $101,206 United States Military Academy · $99,341 Yale University · $116,749 Caltech · $118,332 Stanford University · $107,821 Harvard University · $97,560 Princeton University · $109,161 MIT · $123,103 Columbia University · $111,200 University of Pennsylvania · $138,679 Duke University · $137,082 Vanderbilt University · $113,869 Johns Hopkins University · $123,864 Brown University · $114,979 Northwestern University · $105,317 Rice University · $108,668 Cornell University · $116,472 New York University · $91,335 UCLA · $103,033 University of Notre Dame · $109,462 Olin College of Engineering · $100,410 United States Naval Academy · $100,819 Art & Music: mean $87,865 STEM, Business & Military: mean $96,963 Liberal Arts: mean $96,264 Public University: mean $96,755 Religious University: mean $95,553 Private University: mean $92,703 20–30%: mean $101,238 10–20%: mean $102,103 0–10%: mean $112,396 All colleges: p10 $87,928 All colleges: p90 $108,388
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Mechanical Engineering 399 34,022 82% / 18% 5% $97,560 98%
Mechanical Engineering 375 32,778 82% / 18% 5% $97,401 97%
Robotics Engineering 27 378 84% / 16% 7% $96,725 97%
Manufacturing Engineering 25 368 80% / 20% 9% $92,748 99%
Mechanical Engineering (Course 2) 1 113 50% / 50% 3% $123,103 94%
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics 1 63 71% / 29% 11% $138,679 97%
Engineering Mechanics 6 62 85% / 15% 15% $100,534 98%
Systems Engineering (MechE) 3 61 90% / 10% 2% $101,430 100%
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 1 49 61% / 39% 8% $109,161 100%
Robotics 2 42 71% / 29% 12% $119,545
Electromechanical Engineering 2 37 95% / 5% 5% $100,578 96%
Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering 1 27 85% / 15% 63% $94,588
Manufacturing and Design Engineering 1 20 50% / 50% 20% $107,138 95%
Mechatronics Engineering 3 11 82% / 18% 9% $96,260
Engineering (Robotics) 1 8 12% / 88% 0% $59,821 96%
Robotics & Mechatronic Systems Engineering 1 4 100% / 0% 0% $99,431
Smart Manufacturing Engineering 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $98,411