College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools

313 Colleges in the United States
46,178 ME Degrees Awarded
$69,007 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #21 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 313 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of mechanical engineering. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 46,178 degrees in mechanical engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Mechanical Engineering School

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools 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. We derive our Best Overall Mechanical Engineering School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

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

The ME school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the ME degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in ME

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
291 ME Degrees Awarded
$107,831 Median Starting Salary

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.

There were roughly 291 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent year we have data available. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology make $38,824 more than the typical ME student.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
253 ME Degrees Awarded
$86,167 Median Starting Salary

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in mechanical engineering. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 253 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from Stanford University earn a boost of approximately $17,159 above the typical income of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
191 ME Degrees Awarded
17.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in mechanical engineering needs to check out Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 191 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Johns Hopkins University get $12,446 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University

4
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 ME Degrees Awarded
$71,314 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in mechanical engineering needs to look into Duke University. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 141 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Duke University make $2,307 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 ME Degrees Awarded
18.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 147 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,159 above the average income of mechanical engineering graduates.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
462 ME Degrees Awarded
$84,186 Median Starting Salary

U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 462 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering major at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $15,179 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 ME Degrees Awarded
$81,789 Median Starting Salary

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 214 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from Cornell University make $12,782 more than the average ME student.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 ME Degrees Awarded
$72,690 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 135 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from University of Notre Dame earn a boost of approximately $3,683 over the typical income of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Notre Dame

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 ME Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 142 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering degree program at Northwestern University get $8,608 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
298 ME Degrees Awarded
$76,539 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 298 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Carnegie Mellon University earn $7,531 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
205 ME Degrees Awarded
$74,151 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 205 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Columbia University in the City of New York get $5,144 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
582 ME Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 582 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus receive $13,294 more than the typical ME graduate.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 ME Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 217 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of about $14,603 above the typical earnings of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Southern California

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
794 ME Degrees Awarded
$77,437 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 1st out of 69 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 794 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus get $8,429 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
320 ME Degrees Awarded
$88,120 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 320 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $19,113 more than the standard ME student.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of California - Berkeley

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 ME Degrees Awarded
$77,064 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 156 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis receive $8,057 more than the standard ME graduate.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St Louis

17
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 ME Degrees Awarded
22.1% Growth in Graduates

Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. This university ranks 1st out of 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 77 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, ME degree recipients generally make around $70,400 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University

18
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
597 ME Degrees Awarded
22.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 597 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from University of Florida receive $4,231 more than the average ME student.

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

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
252 ME Degrees Awarded
$92,217 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 252 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles receive $23,210 more than the typical ME student.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of California - Los Angeles

20
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 ME Degrees Awarded
$69,605 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. This university ranks 1st out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 66 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 state that they receive average early career income of $69,605.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 ME Degrees Awarded
$72,316 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Terre Haute, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 134 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering degree program at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology get $3,309 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
268 ME Degrees Awarded
2.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 268 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the ME program report average early career earnings of $70,199.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison

23
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 ME Degrees Awarded
$73,466 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bethlehem, Lehigh is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 117 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 130 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering major at Lehigh University get $4,458 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
359 ME Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 359 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin get an earnings boost of approximately $11,906 over the average earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin

25
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
466 ME Degrees Awarded
$74,517 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 65 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 466 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from Virginia Tech earn a boost of approximately $5,510 above the typical earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech

Rest of the Top Best Mechanical Engineering Schools

25
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
26
Olin College crest
Olin College
Needham, MA
27
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
28
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
29
30
31
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

32

33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

41

42
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
43
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
44
45
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
46
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Mechanical Engineering Schools award.

Rank College Location
47 George Washington University Washington, DC
48 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
49 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
50 Northeastern University Boston, MA
51 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
52 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
53 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
54 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
55 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
56 Auburn University Auburn, AL
57 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
58 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
59 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
60 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
61 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
62 Kettering University Flint, MI

Mechanical Engineering by Region

View the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Mechanical Engineering is one of 40 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Civil Engineering 21,388
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811
General Engineering 11,796
Industrial Engineering 9,072
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 8,001
Systems Engineering 3,904
Materials Engineering 3,415

View All ME Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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