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Sector Analysis · Engineering

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)

320 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Mechanical Engineering, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Mechanical Engineering graduate earns $70,527/yr across 320 schools.

What do Mechanical Engineering graduates do? See career paths and salaries →

Why a Niche Maritime School Sits at #1

California State University Maritime Academy tops the list by preparing graduates for a high-paying, specialized industry. Its waterfront campus and training ship provide hands-on experience for the maritime sector, which pays a premium for qualified engineers. This direct pipeline to roles in naval architecture, shipping, and offshore energy explains the #1 earnings of $92,315/yr. This isn't a traditional ME program; it's a focused career accelerator into a specific, lucrative field.

The Cal State Surprise: Why 'Practical' Beats 'Prestigious'

You might expect to see MIT or Stanford here, but the top 20 is dominated by public universities, especially the California State University system. Schools like Cal Poly Pomona (#5) and Cal State Northridge (#7) deliver exceptional value with ROIs over 30x. Their "learn-by-doing" approach and lower public tuition create a powerful combination, producing career-ready engineers for California's massive tech and aerospace sectors without the high debt of elite private schools.

Your ME Job Is Already Changing: The AI Reality Check

Every program on this list has high AI exposure, but don't panic. This doesn't mean your job is disappearing—it means the entry-level grunt work is. AI will automate basic design and simulation, so you won't be hired just to be a CAD jockey. Your value will come from architecting complex systems, validating AI-generated designs, and applying human judgment—skills you must focus on developing from day one of your degree to stay relevant.

Location, Location, Location: Why California and Florida Rule

It's no accident that 13 of the top 20 schools are in California and Florida. These states are economic powerhouses for mechanical engineers, home to dense clusters of aerospace, defense, and tech hardware companies. Public universities like the University of Florida (#10) and San Diego State (#16) act as direct talent pipelines for regional giants, giving their graduates a significant home-field advantage for high-paying internships and first jobs right in their backyard.

Programs Ranked

320

Avg Earnings

$70,527/yr

Avg DW Score

67/100

AI Risk

Very High

57% task exposure

Top Institutions

Leading the field for Mechanical Engineering

The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 320 programs below.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 79

California State University Maritime Academy

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

CA · #2

$83,011/yr · 24.0x ROI

SUNY Maritime College

NY · #3

$77,895/yr · 32.5x ROI

University of Alaska Fairbanks

AK · #4

$79,438/yr · 26.4x ROI

The Ranking Matrix

All Mechanical Engineering Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

Sort by

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	California State University Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA · Public	79 75–80	$92,315/yr	36.4x
2	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA · Public	77 74–79	$83,011/yr	24.0x
3	SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, NY · Public	77 74–79	$77,895/yr	32.5x
4	University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK · Public	76 73–78	$79,438/yr	26.4x
5	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public	76 73–78	$75,040/yr	33.2x
6	California State University-Chico Chico, CA · Public	76 73–77	$73,297/yr	30.8x
7	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA · Public	76 73–77	$71,359/yr	34.4x
8	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public	76 72–77	$88,497/yr	17.9x
9	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA · Public	76 73–77	$72,647/yr	32.5x
10	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	76 73–78	$76,228/yr	35.9x
11	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX · Public	76 73–78	$82,227/yr	21.3x
12	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public	76 73–78	$80,374/yr	23.4x
13	University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL · Public	76 73–78	$76,228/yr	59.8x
14	University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK · Public	75 72–77	$71,501/yr	30.3x
15	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public	75 72–77	$79,016/yr	18.8x
16	San Diego State University San Diego, CA · Public	75 72–76	$69,754/yr	28.9x
17	Florida International University Miami, FL · Public	75 73–77	$71,335/yr	35.0x
18	University of South Florida Tampa, FL · Public	75 72–76	$70,046/yr	34.6x
19	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA · Public	75 72–77	$78,862/yr	20.0x
20	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA · Public	75 72–77	$75,311/yr	20.8x
21	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD · Public	75 72–77	$76,485/yr	21.3x
22	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS · Public	75 72–77	$75,161/yr	23.5x
23	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC · Public	75 72–76	$72,278/yr	31.4x
24	Oregon Institute of Technology Klamath Falls, OR · Public	75 72–76	$75,750/yr	19.2x
25	University of Houston Houston, TX · Public	75 72–77	$74,043/yr	23.8x
26	Lamar University Beaumont, TX · Public	75 72–76	$68,359/yr	29.0x
27	West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX · Public	75 72–77	$78,028/yr	23.6x
28	Brigham Young University Provo, UT · Private nonprofit	75 72–76	$67,668/yr	36.4x
29	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public	75 72–76	$74,611/yr	20.8x
30	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public	74 71–75	$75,146/yr	18.6x
31	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public	74 72–76	$65,938/yr	33.9x
32	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA · Public	74 71–75	$65,252/yr	31.9x
33	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA · Public	74 71–75	$66,462/yr	29.0x
34	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA · Public	74 70–75	$81,108/yr	15.8x
35	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO · Public	74 71–75	$70,763/yr	22.5x
36	University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Public	74 71–75	$70,440/yr	22.2x
37	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL · Public	74 72–75	$66,298/yr	35.3x
38	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL · Public	74 72–76	$68,451/yr	44.6x
39	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL · Public	74 71–75	$66,743/yr	33.2x
40	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA · Public	74 71–75	$68,462/yr	35.3x
41	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID · Private nonprofit	74 72–76	$68,943/yr	45.3x
42	Southern University and A & M College Baton Rouge, LA · Public	74 71–76	$75,001/yr	21.3x
43	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI · Public	74 70–75	$78,213/yr	16.2x
44	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN · Public	74 71–75	$68,919/yr	23.2x
45	Montana State University Bozeman, MT · Public	74 72–75	$68,469/yr	27.5x
46	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM · Public	74 71–75	$61,611/yr	30.5x
47	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM · Public	74 71–75	$62,813/yr	29.1x
48	CUNY City College New York, NY · Public	74 72–75	$65,905/yr	30.8x
49	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY · Public	74 71–75	$68,729/yr	22.1x
50	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Public	74 71–75	$69,178/yr	28.6x
51	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public	74 71–75	$69,078/yr	24.6x
52	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	74 71–76	$79,359/yr	17.5x
53	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH · Public	74 72–76	$69,161/yr	34.3x
54	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH · Public	74 72–76	$69,161/yr	34.3x
55	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH · Public	74 72–76	$69,161/yr	34.3x
56	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH · Public	74 72–76	$69,161/yr	34.3x
57	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH · Public	74 72–76	$69,161/yr	34.3x
58	University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK · Public	74 71–75	$71,362/yr	24.2x
59	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK · Public	74 71–75	$71,424/yr	22.9x
60	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public	74 71–76	$77,785/yr	17.7x
61	West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley, WV · Public	74 72–76	$71,504/yr	27.0x
62	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV · Public	74 71–75	$71,504/yr	22.4x
63	University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI · Public	74 71–75	$71,612/yr	25.0x
64	University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR · Public	74 71–75	$64,869/yr	40.5x
65	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA · Public	74 71–75	$67,158/yr	36.5x
66	Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN · Public	74 71–75	$68,632/yr	25.5x
67	University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL · Public	73 70–75	$73,984/yr	18.2x
68	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL · Public	73 70–75	$75,238/yr	18.3x
69	Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	73 70–74	$74,005/yr	17.3x
70	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL · Public	73 70–74	$67,175/yr	22.1x
71	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public	73 70–75	$75,211/yr	16.6x
72	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR · Public	73 70–74	$71,407/yr	20.7x
73	Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR · Public	73 70–74	$68,765/yr	23.7x
74	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Public	73 71–75	$60,996/yr	33.9x
75	University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public	73 70–74	$75,231/yr	15.4x
76	Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT · Public	73 70–74	$74,676/yr	17.3x
77	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL · Public	73 71–75	$62,021/yr	40.0x
78	Idaho State University Pocatello, ID · Public	73 71–74	$66,385/yr	25.3x
79	Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public	73 70–75	$72,900/yr	20.1x
80	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS · Public	73 70–75	$70,726/yr	19.1x
81	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS · Public	73 70–75	$72,627/yr	19.5x
82	Wichita State University Wichita, KS · Public	73 70–74	$68,018/yr	22.7x
83	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA · Public	73 70–74	$70,372/yr	20.4x
84	University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA · Public	73 71–75	$68,968/yr	23.1x
85	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME · Public	73 70–74	$68,318/yr	19.8x
86	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public	73 69–74	$82,823/yr	13.7x
87	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI · Public	73 70–74	$80,259/yr	14.5x
88	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI · Public	73 70–74	$76,823/yr	17.2x
89	Wayne State University Detroit, MI · Public	73 70–74	$74,457/yr	16.2x
90	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN · Public	73 70–74	$70,179/yr	20.3x
91	University of Mississippi University, MS · Public	73 70–74	$70,038/yr	21.7x
92	University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO · Public	73 70–74	$71,072/yr	18.7x
93	University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND · Public	73 70–75	$73,603/yr	19.3x
94	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND · Public	73 70–74	$72,158/yr	18.9x
95	University of Toledo Toledo, OH · Public	73 70–74	$77,011/yr	17.0x
96	Wright State University-Lake Campus Celina, OH · Public	73 70–74	$66,331/yr	26.9x
97	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK · Public	73 71–75	$69,905/yr	21.4x
98	Portland State University Portland, OR · Public	73 70–74	$73,079/yr	18.7x
99	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD · Public	73 70–74	$69,667/yr	20.5x
100	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX · Public	73 70–74	$66,404/yr	22.1x
101	Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX · Public	73 71–74	$66,678/yr	20.4x
102	The University of Texas Permian Basin Odessa, TX · Public	73 71–74	$65,167/yr	21.2x
103	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX · Public	73 71–75	$73,268/yr	18.7x
104	Utah State University Logan, UT · Public	73 71–75	$69,406/yr	22.7x
105	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT · Public	73 71–75	$70,999/yr	22.4x
106	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA · Public	73 70–74	$71,774/yr	17.7x
107	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA · Public	73 69–74	$78,280/yr	14.8x
108	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · Public	73 70–74	$70,474/yr	20.7x
109	Alabama A & M University Normal, AL · Public	72 70–74	$71,954/yr	19.7x
110	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR · Public	72 69–74	$74,284/yr	22.7x
111	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public	72 70–73	$55,405/yr	33.5x
112	Boise State University Boise, ID · Public	72 70–73	$62,835/yr	23.4x
113	University of Idaho Moscow, ID · Public	72 70–74	$65,409/yr	23.4x
114	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public	72 69–74	$80,187/yr	14.1x
115	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Public	72 70–74	$69,746/yr	20.0x
116	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	72 70–74	$71,732/yr	18.7x
117	University of Louisville Louisville, KY · Public	72 69–73	$71,169/yr	16.6x
118	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA · Public	72 70–73	$63,812/yr	20.7x
119	University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD · Public	72 70–74	$71,519/yr	17.0x
120	University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI · Public	72 69–73	$70,688/yr	15.7x
121	Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO · Public	72 69–73	$75,855/yr	15.0x
122	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE · Public	72 70–74	$71,318/yr	19.8x
123	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV · Public	72 70–74	$67,050/yr	22.3x
124	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV · Public	72 70–73	$61,977/yr	23.4x
125	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM · Public	72 70–74	$57,424/yr	26.8x
126	Binghamton University Vestal, NY · Public	72 69–73	$66,371/yr	19.8x
127	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	72 69–73	$72,412/yr	15.8x
128	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR · Public	72 69–73	$68,686/yr	16.5x
129	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public	72 69–73	$72,370/yr	16.4x
130	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD · Public	72 70–74	$67,791/yr	22.0x
131	University of Memphis Memphis, TN · Public	72 70–74	$69,386/yr	19.9x
132	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN · Public	72 69–73	$66,517/yr	19.9x
133	Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN · Public	72 70–73	$66,228/yr	20.8x
134	The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX · Public	72 70–74	$62,393/yr	22.5x
135	The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX · Public	72 70–73	$64,977/yr	20.9x
136	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX · Public	72 70–73	$64,313/yr	23.0x
137	Washington State University Pullman, WA · Public	72 69–74	$72,690/yr	16.7x
138	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public	72 69–73	$66,947/yr	17.7x
139	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA · Public	72 69–73	$66,947/yr	17.8x
140	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA · Public	72 69–73	$66,947/yr	17.5x
141	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR · Public	72 70–74	$68,686/yr	17.8x
142	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL · Public	71 69–72	$58,191/yr	23.9x
143	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public	71 69–72	$67,633/yr	15.8x
144	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public	71 69–73	$69,555/yr	15.3x
145	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public	71 68–72	$69,454/yr	15.7x
146	University of Maine Orono, ME · Public	71 68–72	$69,687/yr	16.3x
147	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA · Public	71 68–72	$73,414/yr	13.4x
148	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI · Public	71 68–72	$69,862/yr	15.2x
149	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public	71 68–72	$73,433/yr	13.5x
150	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO · Public	71 69–73	$71,800/yr	15.4x
151	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO · Public	71 69–73	$69,638/yr	15.9x
152	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH · Public	71 68–73	$71,448/yr	16.1x
153	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH · Public	71 68–72	$66,331/yr	17.7x
154	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH · Public	71 69–72	$68,061/yr	18.4x
155	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA · Public	71 69–73	$71,406/yr	15.0x
156	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX · Public	71 69–73	$69,188/yr	17.6x
157	Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA · Public	71 69–72	$62,497/yr	22.9x
158	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ · Public	70 68–71	$63,252/yr	16.6x
159	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA · Public	70 68–71	$62,554/yr	15.5x
160	University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	70 67–72	$74,313/yr	13.2x
161	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public	70 67–71	$69,871/yr	14.4x
162	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL · Public	70 68–72	$68,069/yr	16.1x
163	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL · Public	70 67–71	$66,546/yr	15.7x
164	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY · Public	70 68–72	$68,448/yr	15.6x
165	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY · Public	70 67–71	$70,722/yr	15.9x
166	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA · Public	70 67–72	$73,972/yr	12.7x
167	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA · Public	70 67–72	$71,559/yr	13.9x
168	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI · Public	70 67–72	$75,777/yr	13.7x
169	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI · Public	70 67–71	$74,974/yr	13.9x
170	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI · Public	70 67–71	$68,260/yr	14.0x
171	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN · Public	70 68–72	$67,764/yr	14.9x
172	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · Public	70 67–71	$71,569/yr	12.8x
173	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY · Public	70 68–71	$65,094/yr	17.8x
174	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH · Public	70 67–71	$69,161/yr	14.9x
175	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI · Public	70 67–71	$70,724/yr	13.2x
176	Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	70 67–71	$73,220/yr	13.2x
177	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public	70 68–72	$65,756/yr	15.8x
178	University of North Texas Denton, TX · Public	70 68–72	$68,173/yr	17.2x
179	Texas A & M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX · Public	70 69–72	$56,135/yr	21.7x
180	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY · Public	70 68–72	$57,153/yr	27.4x
181	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	70 67–71	$74,869/yr	12.4x
182	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	70 67–71	$74,869/yr	12.4x
183	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	70 67–71	$74,869/yr	12.4x
184	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	70 67–71	$74,869/yr	12.4x
185	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO · Public	69 67–71	$60,720/yr	16.3x
186	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI · Public	69 68–71	$53,182/yr	19.1x
187	Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI · Public	69 66–70	$74,922/yr	11.3x
188	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH · Public	69 67–71	$65,531/yr	15.6x
189	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX · Public	69 67–70	$60,924/yr	18.5x
190	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA · Public	69 66–70	$73,355/yr	12.3x
191	University of California-Merced Merced, CA · Public	69 66–70	$67,096/yr	14.0x
192	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO · Public	68 66–70	$66,089/yr	13.0x
193	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	68 65–70	$74,869/yr	10.5x
194	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH · Public	68 65–69	$70,865/yr	11.3x
195	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ · Public	68 66–70	$66,909/yr	13.2x
196	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX · Public	68 65–69	$61,113/yr	13.8x
197	Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO · Public	67 65–69	$74,145/yr	10.1x
198	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH · Public	67 64–68	$68,067/yr	11.2x
199	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA · Public	67 64–68	$71,406/yr	9.9x
200	Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TX · Public	67 65–69	$56,371/yr	17.5x
201	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA · Public	67 64–69	$74,366/yr	9.9x
202	Tuskegee University Tuskegee, AL · Private nonprofit	66 63–68	$75,759/yr	8.9x
203	New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ · Public	66 64–67	$68,675/yr	10.5x
204	Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit	65 61–66	$81,865/yr	4.0x
205	The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ · Public	65 63–66	$65,761/yr	10.3x
206	Duke University Durham, NC · Private nonprofit	65 62–67	$89,938/yr	3.8x
207	University of Vermont Burlington, VT · Public	65 63–66	$61,626/yr	10.6x
208	Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	64 60–65	$77,828/yr	4.9x
209	Kettering University Flint, MI · Private nonprofit	64 61–66	$79,307/yr	4.5x
210	Cornell University Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit	64 60–65	$85,440/yr	3.3x
211	Temple University Philadelphia, PA · Public	64 62–65	$66,161/yr	8.9x
212	Villanova University Villanova, PA · Private nonprofit	64 60–65	$80,962/yr	3.4x
213	University of the Pacific Stockton, CA · Private nonprofit	63 60–64	$76,785/yr	3.8x
214	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit	63 60–65	$83,957/yr	3.4x
215	Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI · Private nonprofit	63 60–65	$77,321/yr	4.7x
216	Montana Technological University Butte, MT · Public	63 61–65	$73,901/yr	22.0x
217	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit	63 60–65	$76,523/yr	3.5x
218	Rice University Houston, TX · Private nonprofit	63 60–65	$82,899/yr	3.5x
219	Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, MA · Private nonprofit	63 59–64	$87,590/yr	3.1x
220	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Prescott, AZ · Private nonprofit	62 59–63	$73,433/yr	4.6x
221	California Baptist University Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit	62 59–63	$72,224/yr	4.8x
222	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit	62 59–64	$83,356/yr	2.9x
223	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL · Private nonprofit	62 59–63	$73,433/yr	4.5x
224	Northeastern University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	62 59–64	$80,255/yr	3.1x
225	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit	62 58–63	$78,182/yr	3.2x
226	University of Mount Union Alliance, OH · Private nonprofit	62 59–63	$71,097/yr	5.2x
227	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI · Public	62 59–63	$73,260/yr	17.1x
228	Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland, FL · Public	62 60–63	$62,595/yr	30.7x
229	University of San Diego San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit	61 58–63	$77,962/yr	3.3x
230	Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL · Private nonprofit	61 58–62	$69,533/yr	4.3x
231	University of Georgia Athens, GA · Public	61 58–63	$73,872/yr	15.5x
232	Bradley University Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit	61 59–63	$71,746/yr	4.7x
233	Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit	61 58–62	$75,253/yr	2.9x
234	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit	61 57–62	$84,999/yr	2.8x
235	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN · Private nonprofit	61 57–62	$78,732/yr	3.1x
236	Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ · Private nonprofit	61 58–63	$77,925/yr	3.2x
237	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY · Public	61 59–62	$66,274/yr	18.4x
238	University of Dayton Dayton, OH · Private nonprofit	61 58–62	$71,911/yr	3.9x
239	Ohio Northern University Ada, OH · Private nonprofit	61 59–63	$72,443/yr	4.8x
240	Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA · Private nonprofit	61 57–62	$79,391/yr	2.9x
241	Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit	61 58–62	$75,479/yr	3.1x
242	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	61 59–62	$66,876/yr	3.4x
243	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit	61 58–63	$78,009/yr	3.0x
244	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT · Private nonprofit	60 57–61	$73,871/yr	3.5x
245	The Catholic University of America Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	60 57–62	$76,409/yr	3.1x
246	George Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	60 57–62	$82,361/yr	2.6x
247	University of West Florida Pensacola, FL · Public	60 58–62	$58,548/yr	22.0x
248	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN · Public	60 57–61	$64,534/yr	16.4x
249	Trine University Angola, IN · Private nonprofit	60 58–62	$66,816/yr	5.2x
250	Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI · Public	60 56–61	$77,229/yr	12.5x
251	Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit	60 57–61	$72,057/yr	3.0x
252	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Private nonprofit	60 57–61	$72,036/yr	2.8x
253	Manhattan College Riverdale, NY · Private nonprofit	60 57–62	$70,841/yr	3.6x
254	Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit	60 57–61	$76,263/yr	3.0x
255	Cedarville University Cedarville, OH · Private nonprofit	60 57–61	$69,178/yr	4.7x
256	Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK · Private nonprofit	60 58–62	$65,764/yr	6.6x
257	University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK · Private nonprofit	60 57–61	$70,220/yr	3.7x
258	University of Portland Portland, OR · Private nonprofit	60 57–62	$76,909/yr	3.2x
259	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	60 57–62	$74,267/yr	3.1x
260	Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit	60 56–61	$79,280/yr	2.7x
261	Seattle University Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit	60 58–62	$67,851/yr	3.7x
262	University of New Haven West Haven, CT · Private nonprofit	59 56–60	$62,534/yr	3.9x
263	Boston University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	59 56–61	$76,337/yr	2.6x
264	Tufts University Medford, MA · Private nonprofit	59 56–61	$78,441/yr	2.5x
265	University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	59 57–61	$68,440/yr	3.4x
266	Clarkson University Potsdam, NY · Private nonprofit	59 56–61	$73,168/yr	3.0x
267	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY · Private nonprofit	59 57–60	$65,641/yr	3.3x
268	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY · Private nonprofit	59 56–61	$73,833/yr	2.8x
269	SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica, NY · Public	59 57–60	$60,249/yr	16.6x
270	Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofit	59 55–60	$76,736/yr	2.6x
271	Lafayette College Easton, PA · Private nonprofit	59 56–60	$72,481/yr	2.8x
272	Widener University Chester, PA · Private nonprofit	59 57–61	$65,515/yr	3.6x
273	Roger Williams University Bristol, RI · Private nonprofit	59 57–60	$65,396/yr	4.1x
274	Baylor University Waco, TX · Private nonprofit	59 56–61	$75,726/yr	3.0x
275	LeTourneau University Longview, TX · Private nonprofit	59 57–60	$63,073/yr	4.8x
276	George Mason University Fairfax, VA · Public	59 56–60	$73,570/yr	12.3x
277	Marshall University Huntington, WV · Public	59 57–60	$61,020/yr	16.1x
278	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit	59 57–61	$73,049/yr	3.5x
279	Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit	59 56–60	$68,976/yr	3.5x
280	Harding University Searcy, AR · Private nonprofit	58 56–59	$53,229/yr	7.0x
281	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL · Private nonprofit	58 56–60	$66,843/yr	3.0x
282	Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$65,386/yr	3.3x
283	Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$68,265/yr	3.5x
284	Baker College Owosso, MI · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$68,060/yr	12.3x
285	Alfred University Alfred, NY · Private nonprofit	58 56–60	$63,747/yr	4.2x
286	University of Rochester Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit	58 55–60	$73,828/yr	2.6x
287	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit	58 56–60	$66,789/yr	2.9x
288	Union College Schenectady, NY · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$68,407/yr	2.7x
289	Gannon University Erie, PA · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$65,796/yr	4.2x
290	Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA · Private nonprofit	58 56–59	$63,062/yr	4.0x
291	Tennessee State University Nashville, TN · Public	58 56–60	$58,828/yr	16.2x
292	Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA · Public	58 57–60	$47,837/yr	9.2x
293	Gonzaga University Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$70,819/yr	3.0x
294	Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA · Private nonprofit	58 55–59	$69,938/yr	3.5x
295	University of Denver Denver, CO · Private nonprofit	57 55–59	$65,014/yr	2.9x
296	Fairfield University Fairfield, CT · Private nonprofit	57 54–58	$62,846/yr	2.9x
297	Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit	56 54–58	$60,798/yr	2.9x
298	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit	54 52–56	$68,391/yr	8.8x
299	University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit	54 50–55	$78,552/yr	5.1x
300	New York University New York, NY · Private nonprofit	54 52–56	$64,687/yr	2.5x
301	York College of Pennsylvania York, PA · Private nonprofit	54 51–55	$74,445/yr	6.6x
302	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX · Public	54 53–55	$48,585/yr	14.4x
303	Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Flushing, NY · Private nonprofit	53 50–55	$74,472/yr	5.5x
304	Southern University Law Center Baton Rouge, LA · Public	53 50–54	$75,001/yr	—
305	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ · Public	53 50–54	$75,146/yr	—
306	Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA · Private nonprofit	52 49–54	$73,622/yr	4.2x
307	Benedictine College Atchison, KS · Private nonprofit	52 49–53	$71,539/yr	4.1x
308	Princeton University Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofit	52 48–53	$85,328/yr	2.6x
309	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit	52 50–54	$65,794/yr	6.8x
310	Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC · Public	51 50–53	$52,602/yr	9.5x
311	Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit	51 49–53	$71,112/yr	3.8x
312	Norwich University Northfield, VT · Private nonprofit	51 50–53	$48,799/yr	3.1x
313	Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit	51 48–53	$71,039/yr	3.6x
314	Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit	50 47–52	$74,209/yr	2.5x
315	Lipscomb University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit	50 48–52	$67,725/yr	3.4x
316	University of Evansville Evansville, IN · Private nonprofit	49 47–51	$66,553/yr	2.9x
317	Merrimack College North Andover, MA · Private nonprofit	49 46–50	$68,615/yr	2.3x
318	Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT · Private nonprofit	48 45–49	$65,640/yr	2.1x
319	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon Bayamon, PR · Private nonprofit	48 58–49	$35,250/yr	27.2x
320	New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, NY · Private nonprofit	46 44–47	$56,254/yr	2.2x

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is the best school for Mechanical Engineering?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, California State University Maritime Academy ranks #1 for Mechanical Engineering with a score of 79/100 and graduate earnings of $92,315/yr.

How much do Mechanical Engineering graduates earn?

Across 320 schools, Mechanical Engineering graduates earn an average of $70,527/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $92,315/yr.

Is Mechanical Engineering a good major for AI resistance?

Mechanical Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 57%, rated "Very High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.

Programs are ranked by DegreeOutlook Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.