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# Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in New York (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in New York](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-new-york/)

This page ranks the 20 Mechanical Engineering programs in New York by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $112,212 four years after completing, followed by [Columbia University in the City of New York](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) at $111,491.

Across the 20 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $112,212 to $79,452, with a median of $91,736.

The list includes 7 public and 13 private nonprofit institutions. CUNY City College posts the lowest average net price at $3,776, while Stony Brook University ranks 45th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

20 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $112,212 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
|  | [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/) reports [$112,212 in median earnings](/school/cornell-university/outcomes/) of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and ranks 1st on this list. |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $111,491 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
|  | [Columbia University in the City of New York](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/admissions/), and its Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $10,057. |
| 3 | SUNY Maritime College · Throggs Neck, NY | $106,932 | $22,367 | $11,726 | 72.4% |
|  | A public university in Throggs Neck, [SUNY Maritime College](/school/suny-maritime-college/majors/) shows [median earnings of $106,932](/school/suny-maritime-college/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | CUNY City College · New York, NY | $97,270 | $3,776 | $1,251 | 60.0% |
|  | [CUNY City College](/school/cuny-city-college/majors/) carries an [average net price of $3,776](/school/cuny-city-college/cost/) and a median federal debt of $13,232 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 5 | University of Rochester · Rochester, NY | $95,060 | $29,278 | $9,678 | 40.1% |
|  | [University of Rochester](/school/university-of-rochester/majors/) [ranks 318th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-rochester/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $95,060 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | Hofstra University · Hempstead, NY | $94,744 | $34,176 | $28,219 | 68.1% |
|  | [Hofstra University](/school/hofstra-university/majors/) reports [$94,744 in median earnings](/school/hofstra-university/outcomes/) four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 68%. |
| 7 | Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY | $93,065 | $34,906 | $24,680 | 66.9% |
|  | [Rochester Institute of Technology](/school/rochester-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [median earnings of $93,065](/school/rochester-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 148 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 8 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $92,952 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
|  | [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/majors/) shows an [average net price of $36,228](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/cost/) and median earnings of $92,952 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | Manhattan University · Riverdale, NY | $92,802 | $27,256 | $27,281 | 78.9% |
|  | [Manhattan University](/school/manhattan-university/majors/) ranks 9th on this list, with a [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/manhattan-university/cost/) among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 10 | New York University · New York, NY | $91,821 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
|  | [New York University](/school/new-york-university/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/new-york-university/admissions/) and reports $91,821 in median earnings for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 11 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $91,650 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
|  | [Stony Brook University](/school/stony-brook-university/majors/) holds the 45th spot on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an [average net price of $18,784](/school/stony-brook-university/cost/). |
| 12 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $91,438 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
|  | [Syracuse University](/school/syracuse-university/majors/) reports [$91,438 in median earnings](/school/syracuse-university/outcomes/) four years after completing, with 50 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 13 | Clarkson University · Potsdam, NY | $90,286 | $30,305 | $21,335 | 77.4% |
|  | [Clarkson University](/school/clarkson-university/majors/) [admits 77% of applicants](/school/clarkson-university/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $90,286 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 14 | New York Institute of Technology · Old Westbury, NY | $89,966 | $22,443 | $17,084 | 81.0% |
|  | [New York Institute of Technology](/school/new-york-institute-of-technology/majors/) graduates in the earnings cohort number 51, and the program's median federal debt among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed is $26,000. |
| 15 | Binghamton University · Vestal, NY | $89,650 | $21,620 | $12,171 | 38.6% |
|  | A public university in Vestal, [Binghamton University](/school/binghamton-university/majors/) ranks 15th on this list and posts an [average net price of $21,620](/school/binghamton-university/cost/). |
| 16 | State University of New York at New Paltz · New Paltz, NY | $89,504 | $18,809 | $10,541 | 61.6% |
|  | [State University of New York at New Paltz](/school/state-university-of-new-york-at-new-paltz/majors/) reports [median earnings of $89,504](/school/state-university-of-new-york-at-new-paltz/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $10,541 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 17 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute · Utica, NY | $87,788 | $14,164 | $7,442 | 81.4% |
|  | [SUNY Polytechnic Institute](/school/suny-polytechnic-institute/majors/) [ranks 348th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/suny-polytechnic-institute/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a median federal debt of $24,000 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 18 | Union College · Schenectady, NY | $85,427 | $34,561 | $11,776 | 43.9% |
|  | Union College admits 44% of applicants, and its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $85,427. |
| 19 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $84,602 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
|  | With 232 graduates in the earnings cohort, [University at Buffalo](/school/university-at-buffalo/majors/) reports [median earnings of $84,602](/school/university-at-buffalo/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 20 | Alfred University · Alfred, NY | $79,452 | $25,620 | $16,512 | 73.8% |
|  | [Alfred University](/school/alfred-university/majors/) ranks 20th on this list and posts an [average net price of $16,512](/school/alfred-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |

## 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 New York appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after graduating. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 20 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked Cornell University and second-ranked Columbia University in the City of New York is $721, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $32,760.

## Job market context in New York

Mechanical Engineering graduates in New York enter occupations such as Mechanical Engineers, Cost Estimators, and related engineering roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $89,353, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $70,064. State projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about -3.9% lower, with about 80 openings a year for every hundred graduates, leaving openings and graduates roughly in balance. 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 shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in New York](/rankings/best-colleges-in-new-york/)
-   [Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Texas](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-texas/)
-   [Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in California](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-california/)
-   [Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Ohio](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-ohio/)
-   [Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Florida](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-florida/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in New York](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-new-york/)