Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Tennessee (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee
This page ranks the 8 Mechanical Engineering programs in Tennessee by median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. 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 Tennessee appear. Vanderbilt University leads the list at $101,345, and the median across the listed schools is $89,462.
The figures span from $101,345 to $64,990, a spread of $36,355. For 1 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 5 public and 3 private nonprofit institutions. Vanderbilt University ranks 62nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Christian Brothers University reports the lowest average net price on the page, at $9,854.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | $101,345 | $15,846 | $3,414 | 5.9% |
| Vanderbilt University reports $101,345 in median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 6%. | |||||
| 2 | Lipscomb University · Nashville, TN | $93,990 | $24,739 | $20,048 | 67.7% |
| Lipscomb University graduates left with a median of $26,500 in federal loans among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $93,990 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $90,623 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| A public university in Knoxville, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranks 132nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $90,623 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates. | |||||
| 4 | University of Memphis · Memphis, TN | $89,516 | $12,397 | $10,607 | 72.0% |
| University of Memphis carries an average net price of $12,397 and a median earnings figure of $89,516 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN | $89,407 | $14,265 | $9,876 | 81.1% |
| With a cohort of 54 graduates in the earnings cohort, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga reports $89,407 in median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Christian Brothers University · Memphis, TN | $85,285 | $9,854 | $9,466 | 86.7% |
| Christian Brothers University admits 87% of applicants and shows an average net price of $9,466 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Tennessee Technological University · Cookeville, TN | $84,267 | $14,246 | $9,815 | 76.1% |
| Tennessee Technological University ranks 7th on this list, with median earnings of $84,267 four years after completing and a median federal debt of $19,000 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN | $64,990 | $15,796 | $15,005 | 70.1% |
| An average net price of $15,796 and median earnings of $64,990 four years after completing are the figures for Tennessee State University. | |||||
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 Tennessee appear. The figures come from federally aided completers of Mechanical Engineering who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 1 of the 8 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 Vanderbilt University to the bottom of the list spans $36,355, with a gap of $7,355 between Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University.
Job market context in Tennessee
The occupations linked to Mechanical Engineering in Tennessee include roles such as Mechanical Engineers and Cost Estimators. The median annual wage across those occupations is $83,298, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $66,306. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 8.0% higher, with 720 projected openings a year, or about 130 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 the earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage data reported here.
Related rankings
- Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in Tennessee
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- Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee
- Engineering Colleges in Tennessee for Social Mobility