Top 10 Best U.S. Colleges & Universities to Get Your Mechanical Engineering Degree

By Carly Stockwell, Content Director of College Factual

Based on U.S. government data, the job field for mechanical engineers is growing at a rate of 9% which is average. The number of job opportunities to be created in the next ten years is 25,300.

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The typical mechanical engineering grad earns $57,800 in the first five years of their career and about $96,400 in the middle of their career. This is an attractive field to many as mechanical engineers make roughly 32% more than the average graduate with a college degree.

Picking a good Mechanical Engineering (ME) program can give you a leg up on the competition when it comes to applying for the best positions. You want to find a school with a strong and respected program, that is concerned about successful outcomes.

College Factual evaluated 269 Mechanical Engineering colleges in the nation to rank them according to quality metrics like the earnings of graduates, loan default and graduation rates, and more. Below you can see the list of the top ten. Data sources include the U.S. Department of Education and Payscale.

10. Carnegie Mellon University

The very first school mentioned on this ranking comes in at number 10. Carnegie Mellon is in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Finish Carnegie’s ME program and you may make approximately 4% greater than your peers by making a starting salary of $63,000 per year!

The institution is well known through the entire U.S. and the world. 85% of students come from out of state.

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good choice for scholars looking into a bachelor's degree in ME or a masters. This is a well-liked program, with nearly 300 scholars finishing it in recent years. It is no wonder it is well-liked, as the normal salary for grads in the first five years out of school is $63,000 annually.

U of Michigan comes with an outstanding student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, so students get lots of opportunities to meet with teachers.

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Nestled in the stylish city of Troy, New York, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a top choice for potential ME students. The degree is the most popular in the college, with more than 190 students completing the degree in 2016. For a good way to generate $2,200 more a year in your first career out of college, graduate from RPI’s ME degree and earn around $60,000.

RPI is known for engineering programs, and students may easily take classes in other science and engineering disciplines if wanted.

7. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, Massachusetts, home of Worcester Polytechnic is the ideal environment for learners who love the energetic city life. 203 students graduated from the mechanical engineering degree in 2016, rendering it the most popular in the school, and graduates of the program went on to make typical salaries of $63,000 during the early years of their professions.

70% of the instructors are full time, and a student to faculty ratio of 13 to 1 indicates you will have a good chance of being able to connect with your instructors.

6. Kettering University

Mechanical engineering is the most popular plus the top-ranked degree at Kettering, which makes it a great choice for students. 159 students completed the program in 2016 and went on to earn a salary of about $60,000 in the beginning of their occupations.

Kettering's 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio is among the best in the United States, and all of the professors are full time.

5. Stanford University

Launch your career with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. Located in a suburb of California, the surroundings are safe and secure and inviting. You may even want to stay and obtain your grad degree here as well. Approximately 94 students got their ME diploma from Stanford in 2016, and afterword earned average early career wages of $68,000!

89% of the educators are full time, and the student to faculty ratio is 11:1 which means you will probably get ample face-time with teachers.

4. California Institute of Technology

California Institute of Technology, set in the city setting of Pasadena, is a superb option for students looking for jobs, internships, and networking options. Graduates from the ME department generate almost 13% greater than average in their early career, about $63,000 a year.

The four-year graduation rate is 84% and the six-year graduation rate is 90%!

3. Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens is an excellent option for mechanical engineering students. Grads make $59,000 in the beginning of their professions and the program is popular with roughly 150 grads per year. Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, students benefit from the peaceful and safe suburban environment.

This private school is reasonably priced and features a low student default rate with the price per year being $43,400.

2. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

Georgia Institute of Technology has a well-known and widely attended mechanical engineering program with approximately 500 individuals signed up. Students will love exploring the big city of Atlanta, Georgia.

Georgia Tech is quite diverse, with 50% of the campus being non-white.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Almost 15% of the students enrolled at MIT are in the mechanical engineering program, about 190 altogether. Grads of the program earn an extremely reasonable $69,000 at the beginning of their professions. Cambridge, Massachusetts is an ideal area for learners who like the excitement of the city.

An education at MIT is a superb investment as it is reasonably priced for the education. 56% of inbound freshmen get scholarships.

Want more? See the full ranking of all 269 Mechanical Engineering schools in the U.S. 

Author Bio: Carly Stockwell is the Content Director of College Factual, a website that helps students discover the best college and major for them.