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2025 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee

8 Colleges in Tennessee
634 ME Degrees Awarded
$76,023 Avg Early-Career Salary
Mechanical Engineering is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #21 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 8 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 634 degrees in mechanical engineering annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Mechanical Engineering School

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee The me program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering rankings. For our Best Overall Mechanical Engineering School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Mechanical Engineering Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in ME
Master's Degrees in ME
Doctor's Degrees in ME

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering in Tennessee

The schools below may not offer all types of me degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top Tennessee Schools in ME

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 ME Degrees Awarded
7.0% Growth in Graduates

Vanderbilt University is a great option for students interested in a degree in mechanical engineering. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 71 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program report average early career income of $78,009.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 ME Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat The University of Tennessee - Knoxville if you want to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #226 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were roughly 228 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year. After graduation, me degree recipients typically earn about $65,756 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 ME Degrees Awarded
$66,228 Median Starting Salary

Tennessee Technological University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 19th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 146 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Tech University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the me program make about $66,228 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 ME Degrees Awarded
26.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Memphis is a great choice for students interested in a degree in mechanical engineering. UofM is a very large public university located in the city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #807 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were approximately 53 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the me program earn an average of $69,386 for their early career.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Memphis

5
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN

Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #688 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Lipscomb is a great university overall.

There were approximately 23 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Lipscomb in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, me degree recipients typically make around $67,725 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Lipscomb University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 ME Degrees Awarded
$66,517 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 54 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program report average early career wages of $66,517.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

7

Christian Brothers is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Memphis. This university ranks 28th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 18 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Christian Brothers in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program state that they receive average early career wages of $71,112.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Christian Brothers University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In TN
40.0% Growth in Graduates

UT Martin is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Martin. This university ranks 32nd out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 10 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Martin in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Tennessee - Martin

Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,418
Florida 282 2,198
North Carolina 279 915
Virginia 274 947
South Carolina 248 715
Kentucky 244 391
Louisiana 242 453
Mississippi 234 309
Arkansas 234 280
Alabama 233 1,019
West Virginia 207 217

View All Rankings >

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Mechanical Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

ME Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering 634

View All ME Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 313
Civil Engineering 285
Biomedical Engineering 202
Chemical Engineering 177
General Engineering 168
Computer Engineering 107
Industrial Engineering 85
Nuclear Engineering 79
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 70
Materials Engineering 48

View All ME Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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