Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the West
Regional list from Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States
This page ranks 64 Mechanical Engineering programs in the West by median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. Cal Poly Maritime Academy leads the list at $126,395, followed by Santa Clara University at $122,111 and University of California-Berkeley at $119,371.
Across the listed schools, the median is $94,097, with a spread of $62,795 from $126,395 to $63,600. For 2 of the 64 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 78% of the list, or 50 schools, alongside 14 private nonprofits. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs carries the highest admission rate at 97%, while California Institute of Technology is the most selective, admitting 3% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA | $126,395 | $20,555 | $13,552 | 95.0% |
| Cal Poly Maritime Academy ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $126,395 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $122,111 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Santa Clara, Santa Clara University reports an admission rate of 48% and median earnings of $122,111 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $119,371 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley posts an average net price of $13,481 alongside median earnings of $119,371 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $117,072 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $12,000 in federal loans at Stanford University, where Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $117,072 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $108,875 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles ranks 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $108,875 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $106,750 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| With a cohort of 272 graduates in the earnings cohort, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports median earnings of $106,750 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $105,046 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University admits 85% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $105,046 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $104,649 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California reports an average net price of $32,740 and median earnings of $104,649 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $104,336 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| Median federal debt of $13,993 across all of University of California-Santa Barbara's borrowers who completed coincides with median earnings of $104,336 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $104,229 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $104,229 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $102,161 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| An admission rate of 42% at University of California-Davis coincides with median earnings of $102,161 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $102,104 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University posts an average net price of $12,278 alongside median earnings of $102,104 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $102,078 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports median earnings of $102,078 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 119 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $99,573 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Stockton, University of the Pacific has an average net price of $25,447 and a median of $99,573 in earnings for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $99,216 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge admits 93% of applicants and ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $99,148 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $16,000 in federal loans at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, which reports $99,148 in median earnings for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $99,111 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine ranks 17th on this list and posts an average net price of $8,123 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 18 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology · Socorro, NM | $98,213 | $9,873 | $5,136 | 44.5% |
| With a 47-graduate earnings cohort, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology reports median earnings of $98,213 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK | $98,156 | $15,301 | $11,582 | Not reported |
| University of Alaska Anchorage carries a median federal debt of $20,210 across all of its borrowers who completed, alongside median earnings of $98,156 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $97,901 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 96.2% |
| An admission rate of 96% and median earnings of $97,901 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing are reported by University of Nevada-Las Vegas. | |||||
| 21 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $97,825 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 36th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $15,364. | |||||
| 22 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $97,087 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
| Colorado School of Mines reports median earnings of $97,087 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 304 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 23 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $96,226 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University has an average net price of $32,268 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $96,226 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Seattle University · Seattle, WA | $96,218 | $34,662 | $22,896 | 76.9% |
| Seattle University admits 77% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $19,883 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $95,957 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach reports median earnings of $95,957 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 229 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | Oregon Institute of Technology · Klamath Falls, OR | $95,470 | $15,706 | $9,085 | 95.0% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Oregon Institute of Technology left with a median of $22,500 in federal loans, and the school's Mechanical Engineering program reports median earnings of $95,470 four years after completing. | |||||
| 27 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $95,090 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion admits 90% of applicants and ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $95,040 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| With an average net price of $11,983, University of California-Merced reports median earnings of $95,040 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $94,990 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus ranks 29th on this list, with median earnings of $94,990 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 95%. | |||||
| 30 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus · Denver, CO | $94,320 | $11,900 | $6,743 | 74.7% |
| A public university in Denver, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus reports median earnings of $94,320 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $11,900. | |||||
| 31 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $94,260 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins reports median earnings of $94,260 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $13,259 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 32 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $94,223 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Portland State University left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans, and the school ranks 135th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 33 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $93,971 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
| Washington State University reports median earnings of $93,971 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 265 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 34 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $93,878 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| With an admission rate of 94%, California State University-Sacramento reports median earnings of $93,878 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 35 | Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA | $93,816 | $35,119 | $20,833 | 81.7% |
| A private nonprofit university in Spokane, Gonzaga University reports median earnings of $93,816 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $35,119. | |||||
| 36 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $93,740 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University reports median earnings of $93,740 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,107 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 37 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $93,721 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside reports median earnings of $93,721 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,304. | |||||
| 38 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $93,555 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| California State University-Chico admits 93% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $93,555 four years after completing. | |||||
| 39 | University of Portland · Portland, OR | $93,119 | $28,210 | $20,070 | 89.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Portland left with a median of $21,370 in federal loans, while the school's Mechanical Engineering completers report median earnings of $93,119 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 40 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $93,073 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder ranks 174th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $93,073 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 41 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $93,028 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| With an average net price of $3,967, California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest figure on this list and reports median earnings of $93,028 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 42 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $93,026 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver has an average net price of $36,131 and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $93,026 four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 32 graduates. | |||||
| 43 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $92,555 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
| An admission rate of 87% at University of Hawaii at Manoa coincides with median earnings of $92,555 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 44 | Saint Martin's University · Lacey, WA | $92,321 | $28,119 | $22,810 | 89.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Lacey, Saint Martin's University shows median federal debt of $22,500 across all of its borrowers who completed, alongside Mechanical Engineering earnings of $92,321 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 45 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $91,941 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University ranks 127th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $91,941 four years after completing. | |||||
| 46 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $91,848 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego admits 52% of applicants, and its Mechanical Engineering completers report median earnings of $91,848 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 47 | University of Alaska Fairbanks · Fairbanks, AK | $91,522 | $10,892 | $7,992 | Not reported |
| Median federal debt across all of University of Alaska Fairbanks's borrowers who completed stands at $20,291, while its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $91,522 four years after completing. | |||||
| 48 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs, CO | $91,192 | $15,788 | $12,065 | 97.4% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs ranks 394th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $91,192 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 49 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $91,127 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
| With 182 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Utah reports median earnings of $91,127 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 50 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $90,634 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University ranks 50th on this list and posts an admission rate of 68%. | |||||
| 51 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $90,384 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Arizona left with a median of $19,620 in federal loans, and the school's Mechanical Engineering completers earned a median of $90,384 four years after completing. | |||||
| 52 | Idaho State University · Pocatello, ID | $90,053 | $12,193 | $10,593 | Not reported |
| Idaho State University reports median earnings of $90,053 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $20,039 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 53 | Montana State University · Bozeman, MT | $88,653 | $22,499 | $17,797 | 82.1% |
| Montana State University ranks 563rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earned a median of $88,653 four years after completing. | |||||
| 54 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $88,460 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno admits 74% of applicants and reports median earnings of $88,460 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 55 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $88,002 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno ranks 26th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside an average net price of $7,000. | |||||
| 56 | University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY | $87,533 | $13,599 | $7,977 | 96.9% |
| University of Wyoming reports median earnings of $87,533 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 97%. | |||||
| 57 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $86,808 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton admits 91% of applicants and posts an average net price of $3,315 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 58 | University of Idaho · Moscow, ID | $86,415 | $14,831 | $11,270 | 75.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Idaho left with a median of $21,982 in federal loans, and the school's Mechanical Engineering completers earned a median of $86,415 four years after completing. | |||||
| 59 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM | $85,742 | $8,889 | $6,648 | 89.0% |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus ranks 59th on this list and reports an average net price of $8,889. | |||||
| 60 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $85,495 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Eastern Washington University reports median earnings of $85,495 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 50 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 61 | Boise State University · Boise, ID | $85,354 | $21,610 | $18,165 | 87.2% |
| Boise State University reports median earnings of $85,354 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $21,610. | |||||
| 62 | California Institute of Technology · Pasadena, CA | $83,177 | $16,075 | -$2,133* | 2.6% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Pasadena, California Institute of Technology admits 3% of applicants and ranks 108th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 63 | Montana Technological University · Butte, MT | $82,443 | $16,481 | $11,914 | 91.1% |
| Montana Technological University reports median earnings of $82,443 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a school-wide median federal debt of $18,750. | |||||
| 64 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $63,600 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University posts an average net price of $9,730 for families earning under $30,000 and an earnings cohort of 166 graduates for its Mechanical Engineering program. | |||||
* 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 the West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 64 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 Cal Poly Maritime Academy to the lowest-ranked program is $62,795, and the gap between Cal Poly Maritime Academy and Santa Clara University is $4,284.
Job market context in the West
The Bureau of Labor Statistics links Mechanical Engineering to occupations such as Mechanical Engineers and Cost Estimators in the West. The median annual wage across those occupations is $101,203, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $80,360. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 7.6% higher, with about 160 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 figures.