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Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in Washington (2026)

Updated

Part of Best Engineering Colleges in Washington

This page ranks the 6 Mechanical Engineering programs in Washington by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Washington-Seattle Campus leads the list with median earnings of $102,078 four years after completing.

Across the six schools, the figure ranges from $102,078 to $85,495, with a median of $93,894.

The list splits evenly between 3 public and 3 private nonprofit institutions. University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranks 72nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Eastern Washington University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $13,886.

The ranked list

6 schools in list order
RankSchoolProgram EarningsAverage net priceNet price, families under $30KAdmission rate
1University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA$102,078$14,091$6,38439.2%
University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports $102,078 in median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 39%.
2Seattle University · Seattle, WA$96,218$34,662$22,89676.9%
Seattle University ranks 2nd on this list, with median federal debt of $22,072 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed.
3Washington State University · Pullman, WA$93,971$14,971$7,07486.6%
A public university in Pullman, Washington State University posts an average net price of $14,971 and a cohort of 265 graduates in the earnings cohort.
4Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA$93,816$35,119$20,83381.7%
Gonzaga University sits 896th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $93,816 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing.
5Saint Martin's University · Lacey, WA$92,321$28,119$22,81089.8%
Saint Martin's University admits 90% of applicants and shows an average net price of $22,810 for families earning under $30,000.
6Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA$85,495$13,886$9,54790.8%
Eastern Washington University reports $85,495 in median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $21,750 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed.

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 Washington appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The six listed programs range from $102,078 at University of Washington-Seattle Campus to $85,495, a spread of $16,583. The gap between University of Washington-Seattle Campus and second-ranked Seattle University is $5,860.

Job market context in Washington

The occupations linked to Mechanical Engineering in Washington include roles such as Mechanical Engineers, Cost Estimators, and related technical positions. The median annual wage across those occupations is $98,250, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $82,640. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 1,490 openings a year, or about 229 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which means more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.6% higher. 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 occupation-wide wage and demand figures described here.

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