Mechanical Engineering

34,137 students earn a mechanical engineering credential each year across 424 US colleges. Earnings below are the median for each school's graduates one and five years after finishing; debt is the median federal loan balance at completion.

Typical earnings, 1 year out: $70,722
Typical earnings, 5 years out: $91,489

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Bachelor's programs — top 100 of 393 colleges by graduate earnings

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Cal Poly Maritime AcademyVallejo, California19$92,3151 year out$114,735$19,690 2Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina73$89,9381 year out$125,085$10,000 3University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California188$88,4971 year out$112,325$13,200 4Franklin W Olin College of EngineeringNeedham, Massachusetts28$87,5901 year out$106,657—5Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York132$85,4401 year out$113,983$15,500 6Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey45$85,3281 year out——7University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana101$84,9991 year out$95,893$19,000 8Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts141$83,9571 year out$106,765$11,334 9University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California101$83,3561 year out$107,591$17,500 10California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California278$83,0111 year out$110,675$20,500 11Rice UniversityHouston, Texas65$82,8991 year out$105,734$15,375 12University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan239$82,8231 year out$101,514$21,750 13George Washington UniversityWashington, District of Columbia37$82,3611 year out$94,843$21,500 14The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas275$82,2271 year out$104,021$18,750 15Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, California36$81,8651 year out$118,350$19,500 16University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California82$81,1081 year out$100,669$15,908 17Villanova UniversityVillanova, Pennsylvania73$80,9621 year out$113,966$25,995 18Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana478$80,3741 year out$97,551$19,937 19Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan279$80,2591 year out$99,381$24,000 20Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts231$80,2551 year out$104,723$25,893 21University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois228$80,1871 year out$96,770$20,500 22University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, Alaska16$79,4381 year out$94,625$18,250 23Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, Pennsylvania46$79,3911 year out$99,777$19,500 24Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio218$79,3591 year out$95,293$20,500 25Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan157$79,3071 year out$102,774$28,000 26Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, Texas49$79,2801 year out$95,148$17,708 27University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California187$79,0161 year out$108,947$17,000 28Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, Georgia437$78,8621 year out$98,607$27,000 29Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana121$78,7321 year out$93,120$25,612 30University of Detroit MercyDetroit, Michigan16$78,5521 year out——31Tufts UniversityMedford, Massachusetts79$78,4411 year out$95,235$16,500 32Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia342$78,2801 year out$97,664$23,000 33Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan132$78,2131 year out$101,107$25,000 34Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, Massachusetts211$78,1821 year out$100,164$27,000 35West Texas A & M UniversityCanyon, Texas32$78,0281 year out$89,635$21,125 36Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee54$78,0091 year out$101,152$14,000 37University of San DiegoSan Diego, California62$77,9621 year out$97,127$26,093 38Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, New Jersey180$77,9251 year out$101,241$26,520 39SUNY Maritime CollegeThroggs Neck, New York50$77,8951 year out$114,377$26,000 40Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, Massachusetts128$77,8281 year out$97,305$27,000 41Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas469$77,7851 year out$97,743$19,500 42Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, Michigan51$77,3211 year out$94,853$27,000 43Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, Michigan14$77,2291 year out—$26,901 44University of ToledoToledo, Ohio150$77,0111 year out$89,223$17,900 45University of PortlandPortland, Oregon32$76,9091 year out$91,884$23,681 46Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, Michigan52$76,8231 year out$89,093$26,679 47University of the PacificStockton, California23$76,7851 year out$105,548$28,596 48Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio106$76,7361 year out$92,158$24,855 49Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania107$76,5231 year out$115,666$22,777 50University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland327$76,4851 year out$102,581$20,500 51The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, District of Columbia32$76,4091 year out$92,376$27,000 52Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts124$76,3371 year out$94,926$26,400 53Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, New York173$76,2631 year out$91,471$27,000 54University of FloridaGainesville, Florida268$76,2281 year out$94,291$18,131 55University of Florida-OnlineGainesville, Florida0$76,2281 year out$94,291$18,131 56Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri203$75,8551 year out$91,528$22,786 57Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan57$75,7771 year out$85,738$28,000 58Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee, Alabama25$75,7591 year out$93,145$30,500 59Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath Falls, Oregon48$75,7501 year out$102,683$26,258 60Baylor UniversityWaco, Texas53$75,7261 year out$88,325$27,000 61Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania72$75,4791 year out$101,225$24,950 62Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, Louisiana111$75,3111 year out$104,396$18,500 63Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois72$75,2531 year out$104,154$15,334 64The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama224$75,2381 year out$91,807$24,755 65University of California-DavisDavis, California153$75,2311 year out$99,885$15,000 66University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona110$75,2111 year out$95,672$23,391 67Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, Mississippi193$75,1611 year out$96,021$22,500 68Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona278$75,1461 year out$94,295$20,500 69Arizona State University Digital ImmersionScottsdale, Arizona0$75,1461 year out$94,295$20,500 70California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California216$75,0401 year out$101,659$17,455 71Southern University and A & M CollegeBaton Rouge, Louisiana19$75,0011 year out$88,564$29,500 72Southern University Law CenterBaton Rouge, Louisiana3$75,0011 year out$88,564$29,500 73University of Michigan-FlintFlint, Michigan38$74,9741 year out$83,494$31,000 74Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan274$74,9221 year out$90,615$27,000 75University of ConnecticutStorrs, Connecticut172$74,8691 year out$93,562$23,000 76University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusWaterbury, Connecticut1$74,8691 year out$93,562$23,000 77University of Connecticut-Avery PointGroton, Connecticut1$74,8691 year out$93,562$23,000 78University of Connecticut-StamfordStamford, Connecticut1$74,8691 year out$93,562$23,000 79University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusHartford, Connecticut1$74,8691 year out$93,562$23,000 80Central Connecticut State UniversityNew Britain, Connecticut51$74,6761 year out$91,231$22,534 81University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin218$74,6111 year out$97,845$20,500 82Vaughn College of Aeronautics and TechnologyFlushing, New York30$74,4721 year out—$27,000 83Wayne State UniversityDetroit, Michigan61$74,4571 year out$98,434$24,140 84York College of PennsylvaniaYork, Pennsylvania40$74,4451 year out—$27,000 85University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia71$74,3661 year out$91,262$24,250 86University of DelawareNewark, Delaware136$74,3131 year out$91,595$25,962 87Arkansas State UniversityJonesboro, Arkansas25$74,2841 year out$73,570—88Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania183$74,2671 year out$99,010$31,000 89Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri36$74,2091 year out—$25,665 90Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado321$74,1451 year out$93,871$25,000 91University of HoustonHouston, Texas182$74,0431 year out$96,269$20,000 92Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama230$74,0051 year out$91,940$24,514 93University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, Alabama127$73,9841 year out$90,362$24,897 94University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts153$73,9721 year out$94,995$27,000 95Montana Technological UniversityButte, Montana34$73,9011 year out—$25,750 96University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia179$73,8721 year out—$22,814 97University of HartfordWest Hartford, Connecticut31$73,8711 year out$86,270$27,000 98Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, New York162$73,8331 year out$94,402$25,000 99University of RochesterRochester, New York64$73,8281 year out$92,363$21,000 100Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, Iowa13$73,6221 year out—$26,996

Associate programs — 31 colleges

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, Texas33—1 year out$58,120—2Tacoma Community CollegeTacoma, Washington21—1 year out——3CUNY LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, New York17—1 year out——4Snow CollegeEphraim, Utah14—1 year out——5Everett Community CollegeEverett, Washington14—1 year out——6Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, Ohio11—1 year out——7Montgomery County Community CollegeBlue Bell, Pennsylvania11—1 year out——8Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands, Texas10—1 year out—$15,848 9Olympic CollegeBremerton, Washington9—1 year out——10Whatcom Community CollegeBellingham, Washington9—1 year out——11Clark CollegeVancouver, Washington8—1 year out——12Community College of Rhode IslandWarwick, Rhode Island7—1 year out——13Odessa CollegeOdessa, Texas7—1 year out——14Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake City, Utah7—1 year out$69,954—15Green River CollegeAuburn, Washington7—1 year out——16East Mississippi Community CollegeScooba, Mississippi5—1 year out——17McLennan Community CollegeWaco, Texas5—1 year out——18Spokane Falls Community CollegeSpokane, Washington5—1 year out——19Austin Community College DistrictAustin, Texas3—1 year out——20Bellevue CollegeBellevue, Washington3—1 year out——21Lake Washington Institute of TechnologyKirkland, Washington3—1 year out——22Shoreline CollegeShoreline, Washington3—1 year out——23Collin County Community College DistrictMcKinney, Texas3—1 year out——24Cascadia CollegeBothell, Washington3—1 year out——25Front Range Community CollegeWestminster, Colorado2—1 year out——26CUNY Hostos Community CollegeBronx, New York2—1 year out——27Del Mar CollegeCorpus Christi, Texas2—1 year out——28Highline CollegeDes Moines, Washington2—1 year out——29Lower Columbia CollegeLongview, Washington2—1 year out——30Saint Francis UniversityLoretto, Pennsylvania1—1 year out——31Edmonds CollegeLynnwood, Washington1—1 year out——

Certificate programs — 5 colleges

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Utah Tech UniversitySaint George, Utah38—1 year out——2Boise State UniversityBoise, Idaho14—1 year out——3The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, Texas9—1 year out——4East Mississippi Community CollegeScooba, Mississippi5—1 year out——5The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, Texas1—1 year out——

US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data (4-digit CIP). Graduates are conferrals in the most recent IPEDS year; earnings cover federally-aided completers who are working and not enrolled; medians for small programs are privacy-suppressed (—).