College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools

315 Colleges in the United States
36,809 Bachelor's Degrees
$64,776 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #17 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 315 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for mechanical engineering students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 36,809 bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Mechanical Engineering School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools Your choice of mechanical engineering for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More ME Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Mechanical Engineering in the United States

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. 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 for a Bachelor's in ME

1
134 Annual Graduates
$80,396 Median Starting Salary
$11,334 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute of Technology get an earnings boost of around $15,620 over the average earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Stanford University is a good decision for students interested in a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Stanford University earn $2,231 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Stanford University

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
62 Annual Graduates
$78,166 Median Starting Salary
$12,455 Median Student Debt

University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania earn a boost of about $13,390 above the typical income of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Pennsylvania

4
510 Annual Graduates
$69,872 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a great decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Georgia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Atlanta.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus make $5,096 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

5
96 Annual Graduates
$74,693 Median Starting Salary
$17,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,917 over the typical earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Southern California

6
316 Annual Graduates
$75,414 Median Starting Salary
$21,750 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn a boost of about $10,638 above the typical income of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
395 Annual Graduates
$73,563 Median Starting Salary
$19,937 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus get $8,787 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

8
170 Annual Graduates
$73,836 Median Starting Salary
$13,200 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of around $9,060 over the typical earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of California - Berkeley

9
65 Annual Graduates
$70,936 Median Starting Salary
$15,334 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Northwestern University make $6,160 more than the standard me student.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University

10
114 Annual Graduates
$72,690 Median Starting Salary
$19,000 Median Student Debt

Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame.

Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Notre Dame earn $7,914 more than the average me graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Notre Dame

11
274 Annual Graduates
$73,222 Median Starting Salary
$18,750 Median Student Debt

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,446 over the average income of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin

12
121 Annual Graduates
$72,114 Median Starting Salary
$15,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering major at Cornell University make $7,338 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Cornell University

13
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
90 Annual Graduates
$71,314 Median Starting Salary
$10,000 Median Student Debt

Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Duke University get an earnings boost of about $6,538 over the typical income of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Duke University

14
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
58 Annual Graduates
$70,400 Median Starting Salary
$15,375 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering degree program at Rice University make $5,624 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Rice University

15
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
49 Annual Graduates
$69,605 Median Starting Salary
$14,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering degree program at Vanderbilt University earn $4,829 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University

16
154 Annual Graduates
$68,857 Median Starting Salary
$17,000 Median Student Debt

UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles receive an earnings boost of about $4,081 over the average income of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of California - Los Angeles

17
94 Annual Graduates
$66,886 Median Starting Salary
$19,000 Median Student Debt

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Washington University in St Louis earn a boost of around $2,110 over the typical earnings of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St Louis

18
400 Annual Graduates
$71,020 Median Starting Salary
$19,500 Median Student Debt

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the midsize city of College Station.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,244 over the average income of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University - College Station

19
210 Annual Graduates
$68,804 Median Starting Salary
$20,500 Median Student Debt

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.

Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $4,028 more than the typical me student.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

20
121 Annual Graduates
$68,038 Median Starting Salary
$22,777 Median Student Debt

Carnegie Mellon is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Pittsburgh.

Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University earn $3,262 more than the typical me graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University

21
183 Annual Graduates
$70,199 Median Starting Salary
$20,500 Median Student Debt

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $5,423 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison

22
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
376 Annual Graduates
$68,574 Median Starting Salary
$23,000 Median Student Debt

Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.

Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech make $3,798 more than the average me graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech

23
229 Annual Graduates
$68,074 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Worcester, WPI is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute earn $3,298 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute

24
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
373 Annual Graduates
$67,197 Median Starting Salary
$18,131 Median Student Debt

UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville.

Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of Florida earn a boost of around $2,421 over the typical earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Florida

25
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
57 Annual Graduates
$74,547 Median Starting Salary
$19,500 Median Student Debt

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Santa Clara.

Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University make $9,771 more than the standard me graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Santa Clara University

Rest of the Top Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
35
36
37
38
39
40
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
41
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA

42

43
44
45
46
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
47
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY

Honorable Mentions

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
48 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
49 Villanova University Villanova, PA
50 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
51 Clemson University Clemson, SC
52 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
53 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
54 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
55 Boston University Boston, MA
56 George Washington University Washington, DC
57 Kettering University Flint, MI
58 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
59 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
60 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
61 Auburn University Auburn, AL
62 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
63 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY

Mechanical Engineering by Region

View the Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Mechanical Engineering is one of 41 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.

ME Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering 36,809

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 17,320
Civil Engineering 15,193
Computer Engineering 12,194
Chemical Engineering 10,172
Biomedical Engineering 8,517
Industrial Engineering 5,876
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 5,581
General Engineering 2,652
Environmental Engineering 1,799
Materials Engineering 1,519

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options