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 graduates

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana478$80,3741 year out$97,551$19,937 2Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas469$77,7851 year out$97,743$19,500 3Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, Georgia437$78,8621 year out$98,607$27,000 4University of Central FloridaOrlando, Florida424$66,2981 year out$92,483$22,025 5Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, Pennsylvania374$69,7721 year out$90,200$27,000 6Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa356$72,9001 year out$88,697$23,500 7Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia342$78,2801 year out$97,664$23,000 8University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland327$76,4851 year out$102,581$20,500 9Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado321$74,1451 year out$93,871$25,000 10University of California-IrvineIrvine, California284$67,6331 year out$95,534$14,500 11Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan279$80,2591 year out$99,381$24,000 12Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona278$75,1461 year out$94,295$20,500 13California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California278$83,0111 year out$110,675$20,500 14The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas275$82,2271 year out$104,021$18,750 15Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan274$74,9221 year out$90,615$27,000 16University of FloridaGainesville, Florida268$76,2281 year out$94,291$18,131 17Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon263$68,6861 year out$94,649$24,666 18University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, Colorado262$66,0891 year out$91,715$20,500 19San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California259$69,7541 year out$99,279$19,994 20Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, Texas254$73,2681 year out$93,452$25,396 21North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina250$69,0781 year out$91,136$24,250 22Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, Georgia240$67,1581 year out$86,737$27,736 23University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan239$82,8231 year out$101,514$21,750 24California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, California234$60,9961 year out$97,895$17,653 25Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts231$80,2551 year out$104,723$25,893 26Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama230$74,0051 year out$91,940$24,514 27University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois228$80,1871 year out$96,770$20,500 28New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, New Jersey228$68,6751 year out$87,372$23,334 29The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, Texas226$61,1131 year out$86,469$24,705 30The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama224$75,2381 year out$91,807$24,755 31Washington State UniversityPullman, Washington221$72,6901 year out$92,146$21,000 32University at BuffaloBuffalo, New York220$65,0941 year out$81,124$23,944 33University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio218$72,4121 year out$90,998$25,998 34Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio218$79,3591 year out$95,293$20,500 35University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin218$74,6111 year out$97,845$20,500 36Clemson UniversityClemson, South Carolina217$73,2201 year out$88,351$24,125 37California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California216$75,0401 year out$101,659$17,455 38University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina213$69,1781 year out$85,296$27,000 39Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, Massachusetts211$78,1821 year out$100,164$27,000 40Oklahoma State University-Main CampusStillwater, Oklahoma211$69,9051 year out$91,640$21,750 41Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri203$75,8551 year out$91,528$22,786 42Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, Colorado201$60,7201 year out$89,087$26,184 43Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, Mississippi193$75,1611 year out$96,021$22,500 44University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California188$88,4971 year out$112,325$13,200 45University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California187$79,0161 year out$108,947$17,000 46University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota187$73,4331 year out$95,566$22,077 47Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania183$74,2671 year out$99,010$31,000 48Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, New Jersey182$71,5691 year out$94,837$23,250 49University of HoustonHouston, Texas182$74,0431 year out$96,269$20,000 50California State University-SacramentoSacramento, California180$66,4621 year out$91,357$19,399 51Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, New Jersey180$77,9251 year out$101,241$26,520 52University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia179$73,8721 year out—$22,814 53Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah179$67,6681 year out$97,124$10,500 54California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge, California177$71,3591 year out$100,421$18,000 55Florida International UniversityMiami, Florida177$71,3351 year out$94,520$19,750 56University of South FloridaTampa, Florida177$70,0461 year out$91,161$23,783 57Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, New York173$76,2631 year out$91,471$27,000 58University of Puerto Rico-MayaguezMayaguez, Puerto Rico173$64,8691 year out$87,636$7,625 59University of ConnecticutStorrs, Connecticut172$74,8691 year out$93,562$23,000 60Montana State UniversityBozeman, Montana171$68,4691 year out$92,132$25,011 61University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois168$69,8711 year out$88,275$21,500 62University of DaytonDayton, Ohio166$71,9111 year out$93,487$24,250 63University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, South Carolina166$72,3701 year out$88,180$25,000 64Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, New York162$73,8331 year out$94,402$25,000 65West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West Virginia161$71,5041 year out$90,443$26,242 66The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, Texas159$64,3131 year out$86,214$27,000 67San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, California158—1 year out$112,360—68Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan157$79,3071 year out$102,774$28,000 69University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky156$68,4481 year out$87,796$25,000 70University of Massachusetts-LowellLowell, Massachusetts156$73,4141 year out$95,465$27,000 71The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, Texas156$62,3931 year out$91,486$18,875 72Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, New York155$73,1681 year out$92,873$27,000 73University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin154$71,6121 year out$86,418$26,000 74University of California-DavisDavis, California153$75,2311 year out$99,885$15,000 75University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts153$73,9721 year out$94,995$27,000 76Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, Georgia151$68,4621 year out$85,716$25,500 77University of ToledoToledo, Ohio150$77,0111 year out$89,223$17,900 78University of California-MercedMerced, California150$67,0961 year out$85,156$18,500 79University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, Michigan149$70,6881 year out$99,846$23,950 80University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, California147$69,5551 year out$99,554$20,000 81University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah147$70,9991 year out$87,070$22,400 82University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, Pennsylvania146$71,4061 year out$93,999$27,000 83The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, Tennessee143$65,7561 year out$90,860$23,250 84Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts141$83,9571 year out$106,765$11,334 85Kansas State UniversityManhattan, Kansas140$72,6271 year out$89,754$25,000 86University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, Nebraska137$71,3181 year out$84,216$24,000 87University of DelawareNewark, Delaware136$74,3131 year out$91,595$25,962 88Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan132$78,2131 year out$101,107$25,000 89Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York132$85,4401 year out$113,983$15,500 90Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, Massachusetts128$77,8281 year out$97,305$27,000 91The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, Texas128$60,9241 year out$77,043$15,500 92The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, Texas128$69,1881 year out$87,372$24,080 93University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, Alabama127$73,9841 year out$90,362$24,897 94California State University-FullertonFullerton, California127$65,2521 year out$93,073$19,040 95California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California126$55,4051 year out$94,122$13,000 96University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, Minnesota126$67,7641 year out$91,075$27,000 97Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana125$69,7461 year out$87,604$26,450 98University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri125$71,8001 year out$92,736$22,250 99Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts124$76,3371 year out$94,926$26,400 100New Mexico State University-Main CampusLas Cruces, New Mexico122$62,8131 year out$98,083$18,759

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 (—).