Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 15 Mechanical Engineering programs in Pennsylvania by median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Pennsylvania leads the list with median earnings of $114,492 four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $114,492 to $53,358, with a median of $91,131. For 1 of the 15 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 3 public and 12 private nonprofit institutions. York College of Pennsylvania reports the lowest average net price on the page, at $18,556.
University of Pennsylvania ranks 52nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $114,492 | $28,699 | -$3,012* | 5.4% |
| University of Pennsylvania ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $114,492 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $105,623 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University posts an average net price of $9,097 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $105,623 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Lafayette College · Easton, PA | $101,348 | $34,433 | $12,716 | 31.5% |
| Lafayette College admits 31% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $19,500 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | Bucknell University · Lewisburg, PA | $99,860 | $40,766 | $20,980 | 28.9% |
| Bucknell University ranks 395th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earned a median of $99,860 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $97,556 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University reports median earnings of $97,556 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 77 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Lehigh University · Bethlehem, PA | $96,618 | $36,931 | $16,917 | 25.9% |
| Lehigh University carries an average net price of $36,931 and a median federal debt of $24,950 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $93,638 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University ranks 7th on this list and shows an admission rate of 79%. | |||||
| 8 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $91,131 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University, a public university in Philadelphia, reports median earnings of $91,131 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA | $90,768 | $30,434 | $14,709 | 58.1% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus posts an average net price of $14,709 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 485th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | York College of Pennsylvania · York, PA | $89,995 | $18,556 | $12,927 | 73.7% |
| York College of Pennsylvania reports median federal debt of $26,990 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, and its graduates earned a median of $89,995 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Widener University · Chester, PA | $88,358 | $25,759 | $21,200 | 70.9% |
| Widener University ranks 11th on this list, with an admission rate of 71% and a cohort of 30 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $87,997 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $87,997 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 311 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 13 | Gannon University · Erie, PA | $82,856 | $22,553 | $18,489 | 74.2% |
| Gannon University reports median earnings of $82,856 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 24 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | Wilkes University · Wilkes-Barre, PA | $79,326 | $27,743 | $25,062 | 90.6% |
| Wilkes University admits 91% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $79,326 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Thomas Jefferson University · Philadelphia, PA | $53,358 | $28,928 | $22,537 | 81.0% |
| Thomas Jefferson University, a private nonprofit university in Philadelphia, ranks 181st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $28,928. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
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 Pennsylvania appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing, or two years where that is the reported cohort. For 1 of the 15 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from $114,492 to $53,358 and the median of $91,131 cover the 15 schools with a published figure. University of Pennsylvania leads Carnegie Mellon University by $8,869.
Job market context in Pennsylvania
Graduates of Mechanical Engineering programs in Pennsylvania enter occupations such as Mechanical Engineers, Cost Estimators, and related roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $89,520; a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $71,969. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.9% higher, with 2,200 projected openings a year, or about 133 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage context described here.