Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Florida (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 10 Mechanical Engineering programs in Florida by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Florida leads the list with median earnings of $97,113 four years after completing.
Across the 10 schools with a published figure, earnings range from $97,113 to $70,314, with a median of $89,602.
The list includes 8 public and 2 private nonprofit institutions. University of Florida posts the lowest average net price at $6,541. Florida International University ranks 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Note: some debt figures on this page reflect school-wide student debt, not debt for this major.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $97,113 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $97,113 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Florida International University · Miami, FL | $93,494 | $9,288 | $7,003 | 54.7% |
| Florida International University reports an average net price of $9,288, and median federal debt of $17,395 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Florida Institute of Technology · Melbourne, FL | $92,753 | $35,639 | $29,108 | 57.7% |
| A private nonprofit university in Melbourne, Florida Institute of Technology admits 58% of applicants and posts median earnings of $92,753 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $89,663 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| University of Central Florida ranks 19th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $89,663. | |||||
| 5 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $89,622 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| With a cohort of 94 graduates in the earnings cohort, Florida State University reports median earnings of $89,622 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Florida Atlantic University · Boca Raton, FL | $89,583 | $8,752 | $3,022 | 66.1% |
| Florida Atlantic University shows an average net price of $3,022 for families earning under $30,000, and its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $89,583. | |||||
| 7 | University of South Florida · Tampa, FL | $88,249 | $9,812 | $4,122 | 43.2% |
| University of South Florida ranks 7th on this list, and median federal debt of $22,586 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $86,156 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
| Median earnings of $86,156 four years after completing coincide with an admission rate of 19% at University of Miami. | |||||
| 9 | University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL | $85,995 | $10,154 | $6,647 | 53.2% |
| University of North Florida ranks 158th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside an average net price of $10,154. | |||||
| 10 | Florida Polytechnic University · Lakeland, FL | $70,314 | $11,853 | $8,819 | 57.5% |
| Florida Polytechnic University reports median earnings of $70,314 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $14,250 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Florida appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from top to bottom is $26,799, with University of Florida reporting $97,113 and Florida International University reporting $93,494, a gap of $3,619 between the first and second spots.
Job market context in Florida
Graduates of Mechanical Engineering programs in Florida enter occupations such as Mechanical Engineers and Cost Estimators. The median annual wage across those occupations is $83,489, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $64,387. State projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 2,590 openings a year, or about 156 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 10.9% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures described here.