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# Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Ohio (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in Ohio](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-ohio/)

This page ranks the 14 Mechanical Engineering programs in Ohio by median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) leads the list at $96,418, followed by [Case Western Reserve University](/school/case-western-reserve-university/majors/) at $94,197 and [Ohio University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/majors/) at $91,285.

Across the listed schools, the median figure is $86,837, with a spread of $16,260 from $96,418 to $80,158.

The list includes 9 public and 5 private nonprofit institutions. Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Youngstown State University reports the lowest average net price on the page at $12,767.

## The ranked list

14 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $96,418 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 1st on this list with [median earnings of $96,418](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 2 | Case Western Reserve University · Cleveland, OH | $94,197 | $41,190 | $19,025 | 36.5% |
|  | [Case Western Reserve University](/school/case-western-reserve-university/majors/) posts a 37% admission rate and [median federal debt of $24,855](/school/case-western-reserve-university/cost/) among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 3 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $91,285 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
|  | [Ohio University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [$91,285 in median earnings](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 52. |
| 4 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $90,717 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
|  | [University of Toledo](/school/university-of-toledo/majors/) [ranks 380th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-toledo/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $17,249. |
| 5 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $88,339 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
|  | With an [average net price of $21,736](/school/university-of-dayton/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, [University of Dayton](/school/university-of-dayton/majors/) shows median earnings of $88,339 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $87,752 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
|  | [University of Akron Main Campus](/school/university-of-akron-main-campus/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $24,000](/school/university-of-akron-main-campus/cost/) among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside a 60% admission rate. |
| 7 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $87,343 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
|  | [Miami University-Oxford](/school/miami-university-oxford/majors/) lists [median earnings of $87,343](/school/miami-university-oxford/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $28,384. |
| 8 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $86,331 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
|  | [University of Cincinnati-Main Campus](/school/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/majors/) [ranks 250th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a cohort of 211 Mechanical Engineering graduates. |
| 9 | Cedarville University · Cedarville, OH | $86,062 | $24,468 | $18,987 | 65.3% |
|  | [Cedarville University](/school/cedarville-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $86,062](/school/cedarville-university/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $24,697 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 10 | Ohio Northern University · Ada, OH | $85,802 | $24,478 | $18,525 | 74.4% |
|  | [Ohio Northern University](/school/ohio-northern-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $18,525](/school/ohio-northern-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and reports a 74% admission rate. |
| 11 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $85,184 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
|  | [Cleveland State University](/school/cleveland-state-university/majors/) [ranks 211th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/cleveland-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $85,184 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 12 | Wright State University-Main Campus · Dayton, OH | $82,795 | $15,415 | $11,952 | 96.3% |
|  | [Wright State University-Main Campus](/school/wright-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $22,772](/school/wright-state-university-main-campus/cost/) among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, and an average net price of $15,415. |
| 13 | University of Mount Union · Alliance, OH | $80,963 | $23,280 | $16,786 | 78.2% |
|  | [University of Mount Union](/school/university-of-mount-union/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Alliance, reports [median earnings of $80,963](/school/university-of-mount-union/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 14. |
| 14 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $80,158 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
|  | [Youngstown State University](/school/youngstown-state-university/majors/), a public university in Youngstown, ranks 14th on this list and shows an [average net price of $9,328](/school/youngstown-state-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 Ohio appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The 14 listed programs range from $96,418 to $80,158, with a median of $86,837. Ohio State University-Main Campus leads Case Western Reserve University by $2,221, and the spread from the top to the bottom of the list is $16,260.

## Job market context in Ohio

Mechanical Engineering graduates in Ohio enter occupations such as Mechanical Engineers and Cost Estimators. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $90,658, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $72,184. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.7% higher, with about 99 openings a year for every hundred graduates, 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 occupation-wide wages reported here.

## Related rankings

-   [Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in Ohio](/rankings/best-colleges-in-ohio/)
-   [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 Florida](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-florida/)
-   [Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-pennsylvania/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in Ohio](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-ohio/)