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Mechanical Engineering & Robotics

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

$92,857
1,688
100–92%
$91,704
3,508
92–85%
$92,963
5,025
85–77%
$92,171
6,739
77–68%
$93,773
6,702
68–43%
$92,878
5,031
42–28%
$95,877
3,477
27–9%
$104,579
1,669
9–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$94,927
1,430
400–1050
$92,057
2,850
1060–1130
$92,413
4,158
1130–1200
$93,880
5,558
1200–1280
$93,752
5,790
1290–1360
$93,145
4,010
1360–1440
$98,086
2,917
1450–1500
$106,999
1,419
1510–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$84,172p10 $100,581p90 Arts Military STEM Non-Research Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 Savannah College of Art and Design · $86,232 Johnson & Wales University - Providence · $79,470 United States Naval Academy · $93,742 United States Air Force Academy · $95,572 United States Military Academy · $94,631 United States Coast Guard Academy · $94,032 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $83,682 United States Merchant Marine Academy · $95,740 Maine Maritime Academy · $91,129 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $92,265 SUNY Maritime College · $108,070 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $93,021 Virginia Military Institute · $85,591 Cal State Maritime Academy · $103,608 Olin College of Engineering · $100,409 Cooper Union · $93,524 Florida Polytechnic University · $68,517 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $96,664 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $93,607 Kettering University · $103,695 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $91,557 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $90,371 Lawrence Technological University · $93,564 Lafayette College · $94,006 Bucknell University · $101,417 Union College · $94,600 Grove City College · $90,044 Friends University · $84,840 Dordt University · $87,609 North Central College · $89,569 Loras College · $86,854 Lipscomb University · $97,297 York College of Pennsylvania · $88,881 Schreiner University · $85,365 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $84,584 University of California, Irvine · $84,332 Colorado School of Mines · $92,158 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $99,865 Binghamton University · $82,618 San Diego State University · $88,292 Alabama A&M University · $87,828 Cal State Los Angeles · $83,086 University of California, Santa Barbara · $90,775 University of South Florida · $88,985 University of Washington · $85,996 CUNY City College · $86,786 Cal Poly - Pomona · $91,991 Clemson University · $91,328 Florida International University · $86,654 North Carolina A&T State University · $89,936 Southern University and A&M College · $94,738 University of Central Florida · $90,044 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $89,544 University of Maryland, College Park · $96,373 Cal State Long Beach · $86,416 University of California, Davis · $90,941 State University of New York at New Paltz · $82,743 Auburn University · $98,944 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $97,926 Stony Brook University · $90,463 Ohio State University · $98,278 Texas A&M University - College Station · $102,460 Cal State Fullerton · $82,160 Florida Atlantic University · $81,614 Northern Illinois University · $89,875 University of West Florida · $84,172 University of Connecticut · $90,539 Virginia Tech · $98,422 University of South Carolina · $91,758 Pennsylvania State University · $93,727 New Mexico State University · $108,853 Tarleton State University · $71,469 Central Connecticut State University · $88,715 University of Arkansas at Little Rock · $90,960 Central State University · $83,712 University of Pittsburgh · $95,025 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $91,554 University of New Mexico · $110,354 College of New Jersey · $79,417 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $95,816 Arkansas State University · $85,113 Southern Arkansas University · $87,351 Fresno State · $90,460 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $94,861 University of Texas Permian Basin · $100,588 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $92,224 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $95,145 Central Michigan University · $93,003 Eastern Michigan University · $87,277 Oklahoma State University · $98,907 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $89,393 McNeese State University · $95,369 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $78,869 Texas Tech University · $97,992 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $91,225 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $98,639 Tennessee State University · $90,104 Texas State University · $87,985 University at Buffalo · $79,633 Louisiana State University · $112,383 University of Colorado Boulder · $88,828 University of Alabama · $97,878 College of Charleston · $91,177 Louisiana Tech University · $94,058 Cal State Sacramento · $83,177 Cleveland State University · $88,772 George Mason University · $91,000 Georgia Southern University · $93,911 Marshall University · $94,303 Oakland University · $100,700 Ohio University · $93,280 Oregon Institute of Technology · $97,497 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $93,149 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $88,711 Temple University · $87,084 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $94,390 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $93,947 University of Alabama at Birmingham · $93,457 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $89,428 University of Colorado Denver · $91,578 University of Delaware · $90,889 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $91,867 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $86,559 University of Memphis · $93,317 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $99,639 University of Southern Indiana · $92,037 University of Southern Maine · $90,509 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $92,006 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $82,962 University of Texas at Arlington · $87,047 University of Texas at Dallas · $86,095 University of Texas at Tyler · $90,914 Virginia Commonwealth University · $87,585 Western Illinois University · $88,926 Wright State University · $89,483 University of Vermont · $88,489 Miami University - Ohio · $90,138 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $97,096 University of Michigan - Flint · $84,242 University of Rhode Island · $91,594 Oregon State University · $90,105 University of Arkansas · $94,735 University of Idaho · $87,126 University of Louisville · $98,982 University of Mississippi · $98,059 University of Tennessee, Martin · $87,563 Washington State University · $92,072 University of Houston · $97,947 University of Illinois Chicago · $87,303 Purdue University Northwest · $91,077 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $100,526 University of South Carolina Upstate · $87,305 Rowan University · $84,430 Prairie View A&M University · $101,548 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $84,978 University of Missouri · $98,381 University of North Florida · $85,966 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $87,876 Angelo State University · $87,086 Chico State · $95,896 Middle Tennessee State University · $95,788 University of Louisiana at Lafayette · $99,510 University of New Hampshire · $89,070 Youngstown State University · $88,802 Saginaw Valley State University · $90,071 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $96,250 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $96,656 Columbus State University · $88,010 Tennessee Technological University · $94,763 Kennesaw State University · $91,047 University of Iowa · $90,291 Portland State University · $84,292 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · $86,971 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $96,203 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $92,759 University of Toledo · $94,654 San Jose State University · $100,581 University of Central Oklahoma · $92,840 University of New Orleans · $95,823 University of North Texas · $81,180 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $88,049 Eastern Washington University · $76,172 Kent State University at Kent · $88,739 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $89,615 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $86,403 University of North Dakota · $101,129 University of Utah · $87,727 University of Washington - Tacoma · $85,996 Purdue University Fort Wayne · $87,869 Stephen F. Austin State University · $85,345 Western Michigan University · $92,011 University of Nevada, Reno · $88,732 Michigan State University · $99,921 Mississippi State University · $110,369 Wayne State University · $98,038 Boise State University · $86,584 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $91,495 University of South Carolina - Aiken · $87,653 Arkansas Tech University · $95,398 Ferris State University · $77,711 Iowa State University · $93,726 Lamar University · $110,445 Montana Technological University · $82,543 Saint Cloud State University · $87,392 South Dakota State University · $92,331 Southern Utah University · $87,965 University of Akron · $92,471 University of Arizona · $95,096 University of Cincinnati · $95,284 University of Maine · $87,753 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $89,491 West Virginia University · $94,016 Western Kentucky University · $85,370 Wichita State University · $97,815 Michigan Technological University · $91,305 Francis Marion University · $85,420 University of California, Riverside · $85,028 University of Washington - Bothell · $85,996 Arizona State University · $91,632 Cal State Northridge · $89,846 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $90,538 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $91,648 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $90,701 Northern Arizona University · $87,554 University of Kentucky · $95,488 University of Texas at San Antonio · $89,238 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay · $88,499 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $89,901 Old Dominion University · $92,235 North Dakota State University · $96,048 Pennsylvania State University - Berks · $91,376 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $93,269 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $90,897 Pennsylvania State University - Scranton · $92,452 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $97,009 University of Kansas · $104,514 Grand Valley State University · $87,233 San Francisco State University · $87,151 Utah State University · $89,736 Western Washington University · $78,751 University of South Alabama · $96,143 Idaho State University · $89,304 Kansas State University · $99,637 Midwestern State University · $79,992 University of Texas at El Paso · $95,522 University of Wyoming · $81,187 Texas A&M University - Texarkana · $84,374 Virginia State University · $84,393 University of California, Merced · $80,612 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $112,058 West Texas A&M University · $91,545 Montana State University · $92,087 Lake Superior State University · $87,705 University of the District of Columbia · $87,416 Utah Valley University · $108,859 Weber State University · $92,512 University of Notre Dame · $98,505 Fairfield University · $86,054 Villanova University · $113,122 Union University · $93,832 Santa Clara University · $105,943 Saint Louis University · $102,509 Southern Methodist University · $94,773 Loyola Marymount University · $81,240 Liberty University · $89,169 Baylor University · $91,771 John Brown University · $95,860 University of San Diego · $86,378 LeTourneau University · $87,654 Walla Walla University · $89,756 William Penn University · $87,209 Howard Payne University · $83,875 Milligan University · $93,380 University of Dayton · $98,215 Cedarville University · $86,741 Harding University · $90,395 Manhattan College · $87,527 Messiah University · $87,981 Merrimack College · $78,923 University of Evansville · $86,612 North Park University · $84,430 Rockhurst University · $93,691 California Baptist University · $84,618 Brigham Young University · $97,773 Ohio Northern University · $93,668 King's College · $89,573 Saint Martin's University · $75,205 St. Ambrose University · $112,611 University of Detroit Mercy · $100,382 Saint Vincent College · $90,030 University of Tulsa · $96,906 University of Jamestown · $87,454 Marquette University · $90,203 University of Indianapolis · $87,236 University of Mary · $94,596 Gonzaga University · $82,397 University of Mount Union · $93,910 University of Scranton · $90,822 University of Portland · $87,204 Seattle University · $92,103 George Fox University · $95,000 Grace College and Theological Seminary · $84,000 Otterbein University · $88,377 Gannon University · $80,389 Catholic University of America · $89,789 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $84,254 Valparaiso University · $86,477 Seattle Pacific University · $93,586 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $87,271 Christian Brothers University · $90,268 Oklahoma Christian University · $83,774 University of Saint Thomas (TX) · $86,776 Benedictine College · $115,102 University of Miami · $88,501 Tuskegee University · $100,240 Syracuse University · $96,532 University of Rochester · $90,253 Jacksonville University · $87,786 Howard University · $87,116 George Washington University · $92,187 Stevens Institute of Technology · $91,388 Hofstra University · $89,695 Quinnipiac University · $85,594 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $98,034 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $91,523 Indiana Institute of Technology · $88,554 Florida Institute of Technology · $91,874 Illinois Institute of Technology · $87,901 Alfred University · $78,341 Bradley University · $92,134 Rochester Institute of Technology · $89,381 Robert Morris University · $73,753 University of New Haven · $87,105 Wilkes University · $85,352 University of Bridgeport · $88,139 Clarkson University · $87,753 Thomas Jefferson University · $78,498 Trine University · $92,744 University of Hartford · $83,732 University of the Pacific · $96,794 New York Institute of Technology · $82,177 Point Park University · $85,836 Drexel University · $98,203 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus · $86,646 Widener University · $96,378 University of Denver · $90,012 Norwich University · $82,597 National University · $84,998 Georgia Tech · $98,820 University of California, Berkeley · $98,267 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $101,035 University of Virginia · $90,154 UCLA · $96,172 University of Florida · $93,947 University of Georgia · $89,555 Purdue University · $99,346 North Carolina State University · $93,305 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $96,927 University of Texas at Austin · $104,834 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $98,806 Florida State University · $93,632 University of California, San Diego · $88,537 MIT · $100,511 Caltech · $110,149 Stanford University · $125,956 Yale University · $103,871 Harvard University · $93,177 Princeton University · $107,086 University of Pennsylvania · $115,505 Duke University · $128,324 Columbia University · $96,749 Johns Hopkins University · $114,049 Rice University · $107,193 Carnegie Mellon University · $116,928 Northwestern University · $101,552 Vanderbilt University · $106,848 Cornell University · $109,241 Washington University in St Louis · $106,636 Tufts University · $89,656 University of Southern California · $94,975 New York University · $77,972 Boston University · $89,365 Case Western Reserve University · $96,427 Northeastern University · $98,588 Lehigh University · $101,076 Arts: mean $82,851 Military: mean $94,257 STEM Non-Research: mean $92,434 Liberal Arts: mean $90,953 Public University: mean $91,236 Religious University: mean $91,005 Private University: mean $88,793 Public University 1–15: mean $95,953 Private University 1–30: mean $103,993 All colleges: p10 $84,172 All colleges: p90 $100,581
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Mechanical Engineering & Robotics 401 34,058 82% / 18% 5% $92,204 96%
Mechanical Engineering 377 32,779 82% / 18% 5% $92,102 96%
Robotics Engineering 28 413 83% / 17% 7% $93,138 99%
Manufacturing Engineering 25 368 80% / 20% 9% $88,974 98%
Mechanical Engineering (Course 2) 1 113 50% / 50% 3% $100,511 94%
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics 1 63 71% / 29% 11% $115,505 97%
Engineering Mechanics 6 62 85% / 15% 15% $97,529 100%
Systems Engineering (MechE) 3 61 90% / 10% 2% $92,682 95%
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 1 49 61% / 39% 8% $107,086 100%
Robotics 2 42 71% / 29% 12% $113,692
Electromechanical Engineering 2 37 95% / 5% 5% $94,509 98%
Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering 1 27 85% / 15% 63% $88,721
Manufacturing and Design Engineering 1 20 50% / 50% 20% $94,853 95%
Mechatronics Engineering 3 11 82% / 18% 9% $90,200
Engineering (Robotics) 1 8 12% / 88% 0% $59,822 96%
Robotics & Mechatronic Systems Engineering 1 4 100% / 0% 0% $92,760
Smart Manufacturing Engineering 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $92,479