When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major” ranking analyzed 426 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in mechanical engineering.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Schools Highly Focused on ME Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major”.
Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Mechanical Engineering
Out of the 426 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Kettering University landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 235 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Olin College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major list. This small school is located in Needham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 21 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 134 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Out of the 426 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Polytechnic University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida Polytechnic University is a public institution located in Lakeland, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan Technological University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 429 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Colorado School of Mines came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Located in Golden, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 361 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is located in Socorro, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Milwaukee School of Engineering came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. MSOE is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 112 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Clarkson University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Clarkson University is located in Potsdam, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Lawrence Technological University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Southfield, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 315 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, Rensselaer at Hartford did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major list. This small school is located in Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 10 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 31 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #14, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major list. Located in Troy, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 289 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Wright State University - Lake Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a public institution located in Celina, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #16. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Wentworth Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #17. Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
California State University Maritime Academy came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. California State University Maritime Academy is a small public school situated in Vallejo, California. It awarded 19 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico is a small school located in Hato Rey, that handed out 76 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #20, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 272 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 198 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico - Orlando landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico - Orlando is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 3 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Virginia Military Institute landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. This small school is located in Lexington, Virginia, and it awarded 41 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Located in Mayaguez, , this fairly large public school awarded 200 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Manhattan College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #25. Manhattan College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverdale, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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