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# Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Texas (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in Texas](/rankings/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](/school/rice-university/majors/) leads the list at $108,970, followed by [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) 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

22 schools in list order

| 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](/school/rice-university/majors/) reports [$108,970 in median earnings](/school/rice-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) posts [median earnings of $104,523](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/) 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](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) [admits 73% of applicants](/school/texas-tech-university/admissions/) 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](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $97,903 for Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing at [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/), drawn from a cohort of 415. |
| 5 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $97,159 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
|  | [Lamar University](/school/lamar-university/majors/) ranks 5th on this list, with [median earnings of $97,159](/school/lamar-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/west-texas-a-m-university/majors/) reports a [median federal debt of $19,625](/school/west-texas-a-m-university/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-houston/majors/) [ranks 13th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-houston/) 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](/school/baylor-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $41,104](/school/baylor-university/cost/) 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](/school/southern-methodist-university/majors/) [admits 63% of applicants](/school/southern-methodist-university/admissions/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/majors/) [ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/majors/) reports [median earnings of $90,102](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/outcomes/) 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](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/majors/) posts a [median federal debt of $21,678](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/cost/) 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](/school/prairie-view-a-m-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $88,708](/school/prairie-view-a-m-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-tyler/majors/) [admits 94% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-tyler/admissions/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-el-paso/majors/) [ranks 39th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-el-paso/) 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,](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/cost/) [The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/majors/) 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](/school/university-of-north-texas/majors/) ranks 17th on this list and carries a [median federal debt of $24,583](/school/university-of-north-texas/cost/) among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 18 | Midwestern State University · Wichita Falls, TX | $87,160 | $11,656 | $8,856 | 93.5% |
|  | [Midwestern State University](/school/midwestern-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $87,160](/school/midwestern-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/) [admits 87% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/admissions/) 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](/school/texas-a-m-university-corpus-christi/majors/) reports [median earnings of $82,322](/school/texas-a-m-university-corpus-christi/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-permian-basin/majors/) ranks 22nd on this list, with [median earnings of $69,732](/school/the-university-of-texas-permian-basin/outcomes/) 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](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs/)
-   [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 Mechanical Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-pennsylvania/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-texas/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-for-social-mobility-in-texas/)