Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Texas (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in Texas
This page ranks the 22 Mechanical Engineering programs in Texas by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. Rice University leads the list at $108,970, followed by The University of Texas at Austin at $104,523, a gap of $4,447.
Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $108,970 to $69,732, with a median of $89,466. For 1 of the 22 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions make up 82% of the list, with 18 public and 4 private nonprofit schools represented. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posts the lowest average net price at $4,831.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th 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 | Rice University · Houston, TX | $108,970 | $13,370 | $5,827 | 8.0% |
| Rice University reports $108,970 in median earnings for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 8%. | |||||
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $104,523 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| With a cohort of 266 graduates, The University of Texas at Austin posts median earnings of $104,523 and ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 3 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $98,113 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University admits 73% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $25,000. | |||||
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $97,903 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| An average net price of $21,315 coincides with median earnings of $97,903 for Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing at Texas A&M University-College Station, drawn from a cohort of 415. | |||||
| 5 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $97,159 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
| Lamar University ranks 5th on this list, with median earnings of $97,159 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | West Texas A & M University · Canyon, TX | $93,938 | $19,487 | $16,525 | 98.7% |
| West Texas A & M University reports a median federal debt of $19,625 among its Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 99%. | |||||
| 7 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $93,275 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston ranks 13th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $93,275 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Baylor University · Waco, TX | $92,990 | $41,104 | $22,024 | 51.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Waco, Baylor University reports an average net price of $41,104 and median earnings of $92,990 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $90,649 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
| Southern Methodist University admits 63% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $90,649. | |||||
| 10 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $90,158 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $90,158 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | The University of Texas at Dallas · Richardson, TX | $90,102 | $18,267 | $12,814 | 65.1% |
| With a cohort of 231 graduates, The University of Texas at Dallas reports median earnings of $90,102 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $18,267. | |||||
| 12 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $88,830 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville posts a median federal debt of $21,678 among its Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 13 | Prairie View A & M University · Prairie View, TX | $88,708 | $13,570 | $12,120 | 79.3% |
| Prairie View A & M University reports median earnings of $88,708 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $28,812 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 14 | The University of Texas at Tyler · Tyler, TX | $88,562 | $13,323 | $10,307 | 94.0% |
| The University of Texas at Tyler admits 94% of applicants and shows an average net price of $13,323. | |||||
| 15 | The University of Texas at El Paso · El Paso, TX | $88,393 | $9,403 | $7,863 | 99.9% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso ranks 39th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $88,393 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · Edinburg, TX | $87,991 | $4,831 | $3,785 | 94.2% |
| With an average net price of $4,831, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reports median earnings of $87,991 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $87,257 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| University of North Texas ranks 17th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $24,583 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | Midwestern State University · Wichita Falls, TX | $87,160 | $11,656 | $8,856 | 93.5% |
| Midwestern State University reports median earnings of $87,160 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 22 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 19 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $87,062 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio admits 87% of applicants and reports median earnings of $87,062 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | LeTourneau University · Longview, TX | $84,998 | $28,185 | $22,785 | 38.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Longview, LeTourneau University shows a median federal debt of $26,000 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 38%. | |||||
| 21 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi · Corpus Christi, TX | $82,322 | $15,225 | $11,445 | 88.6% |
| Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi reports median earnings of $82,322 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $15,225. | |||||
| 22 | The University of Texas Permian Basin · Odessa, TX | $69,732 | $12,723 | $11,930 | 94.9% |
| The University of Texas Permian Basin ranks 22nd on this list, with median earnings of $69,732 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 Texas appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 22 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 spread from Rice University to the bottom of the list is $39,238, with a gap of $4,447 separating Rice University and The University of Texas at Austin.
Job market context in Texas
Mechanical Engineering graduates in Texas enter occupations such as Mechanical Engineers, Cost Estimators, and related roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $92,021, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $72,746. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 10.7% higher, with about 4,570 openings a year, or about 164 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, not the broader occupational wage figures shown here.
Related rankings
- Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in California
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Ohio
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Florida
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania
- Best Engineering Colleges in Texas
- Best Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility in Texas