Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Virginia (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in Virginia
This page ranks the 7 Mechanical Engineering programs in Virginia by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. George Mason University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $96,467 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $96,467 to $76,909, with a median of $89,129.
Public institutions account for 6 of the 7 programs, with 1 private nonprofit school also listed. Old Dominion University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $14,638.
George Mason University ranks 33rd 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 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $96,467 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University reports median earnings of $96,467 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 2 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $96,376 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 2nd on this list and shows a median federal debt of $22,500 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $94,881 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus has an admission rate of 17%, the most selective on the page, and reports median earnings of $94,881 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Liberty University · Lynchburg, VA | $89,129 | $29,357 | $30,667 | 99.0% |
| Liberty University, a private nonprofit university in Lynchburg, ranks 79th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, VA | $88,410 | $23,433 | $17,512 | 92.6% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University graduates a cohort of 86 in the earnings cohort and records median earnings of $88,410 for its Mechanical Engineering program four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Old Dominion University · Norfolk, VA | $87,772 | $14,638 | $9,739 | 90.4% |
| Old Dominion University carries the lowest average net price on the list at $14,638 and reports a median federal debt of $25,000 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | Virginia Military Institute · Lexington, VA | $76,909 | $17,113 | $12,697 | 71.3% |
| Virginia Military Institute ranks 7th on this list with median earnings of $76,909 four years after completing and ranks 470th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
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 Virginia appear. The figures represent the median earnings of federally aided Mechanical Engineering completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from George Mason University to the bottom of the list is $19,558, and the gap between George Mason University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is just $91.
Job market context in Virginia
In Virginia, Mechanical Engineering graduates enter occupations such as Mechanical Engineers, where the median annual wage is $104,180, and Cost Estimators, at $80,530. Across the linked occupations the median annual wage is $92,355, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $74,005. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 1,300 openings a year, or about 169 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 6.1% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the occupations, and the two are not the same measure.
Related rankings
- Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in Virginia
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Texas
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in California
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Ohio
- Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Florida
- Best Engineering Colleges in Virginia