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# Mechanical Engineering Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated October 1, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)

This page ranks 295 Mechanical Engineering programs in the United States by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $131,967 four years after completing.

Across the listed schools, the median figure is $91,127, with a range from $131,967 at the top to $52,107 at the bottom.

Public institutions account for 67% of the programs, with 198 public and 97 private nonprofit schools represented. CUNY City College posts the lowest average net price at $3,776, while University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 295 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA | $131,967 | $20,111 | \-$2,533\* | 4.6% |
|  | [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [median earnings of $131,967](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 142 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 2 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA | $126,395 | $20,555 | $13,552 | 95.0% |
|  | A public university in Vallejo, [Cal Poly Maritime Academy](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/admissions/) and shows an average net price of $20,555. |
| 3 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $122,111 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $19,162](/school/santa-clara-university/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Santa Clara University](/school/santa-clara-university/majors/), which ranks 321st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 4 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $120,991 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
|  | [Duke University](/school/duke-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $120,991](/school/duke-university/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $735 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $119,371 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 11%](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/admissions/), [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $119,371 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $117,072 | $13,807 | \-$2,536\* | 3.6% |
|  | [Stanford University](/school/stanford-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $117,072](/school/stanford-university/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a school-wide median federal debt of $12,000 for borrowers who completed. |
| 7 | Princeton University · Princeton, NJ | $115,927 | $6,128 | $41 | 4.6% |
|  | [Princeton University](/school/princeton-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $6,128](/school/princeton-university/cost/) and reports median earnings of $115,927 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 8 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $114,492 | $28,699 | \-$3,012\* | 5.4% |
|  | Ranking 52nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, [University of Pennsylvania](/school/university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) shows [median earnings of $114,492](/school/university-of-pennsylvania/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $112,212 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
|  | [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/cornell-university/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $112,212 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 132 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 10 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $111,491 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
|  | [Columbia University in the City of New York](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) reports [median earnings of $111,491](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/outcomes/) for its graduates four years after completing, with a school-wide median federal debt of $21,500 for borrowers who completed. |
| 11 | Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD | $110,210 | $18,809 | $428 | 6.4% |
|  | [Johns Hopkins University](/school/johns-hopkins-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $428](/school/johns-hopkins-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $110,210 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 12 | Rice University · Houston, TX | $108,970 | $13,370 | $5,827 | 8.0% |
|  | Ranking 64th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, [Rice University](/school/rice-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $108,970](/school/rice-university/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 13 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $108,875 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) reports [median earnings of $108,875](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,548. |
| 14 | SUNY Maritime College · Throggs Neck, NY | $106,932 | $22,367 | $11,726 | 72.4% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at [SUNY Maritime College](/school/suny-maritime-college/majors/) left with a [median of $23,250](/school/suny-maritime-college/outcomes/) in federal loans, and the school admits 72% of applicants. |
| 15 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $106,750 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) ranks 15th on this list, with 272 graduates in the earnings cohort and an [admission rate of 31%](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/admissions/). |
| 16 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $105,888 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
|  | With an [average net price of $1,043](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) posts median earnings of $105,888 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 17 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $105,623 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
|  | [Carnegie Mellon University](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Pittsburgh, reports [median earnings of $105,623](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 18 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $105,046 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
|  | [California Baptist University](/school/california-baptist-university/majors/) [ranks 432nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-baptist-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $105,046 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 19 | University of Detroit Mercy · Detroit, MI | $104,683 | $15,232 | $13,088 | 75.4% |
|  | University of Detroit Mercy reports an average net price of $15,232 and median earnings of $104,683 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 20 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $104,649 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
|  | Median earnings of $104,649 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing coincide with an [admission rate of 10%](/school/university-of-southern-california/admissions/) at [University of Southern California](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/). |
| 21 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $104,523 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) [ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $104,523 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 22 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $104,336 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at [University of California-Santa Barbara](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/) left with a [median of $13,993](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/outcomes/) in federal loans, and the school reports an average net price of $16,109. |
| 23 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $104,229 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
|  | [University of California-San Diego](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) reports [median earnings of $104,229](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $7,525 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 24 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $103,384 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
|  | An [admission rate of 5%](/school/northeastern-university/admissions/) and median earnings of $103,384 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing are reported by [Northeastern University](/school/northeastern-university/majors/). |
| 25 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $102,572 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
|  | [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $102,572](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,600. |

\* 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.

Continue by region[Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in the South](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in the West](/rankings/best-mechanical-engineering-programs-in-the-west/)

## 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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 7 of the 295 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 range and median below cover the 295 schools with a published figure. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads Cal Poly Maritime Academy by $5,572, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $79,860.

## Job market context in the United States

Mechanical Engineering is linked to occupations such as Mechanical Engineers and Cost Estimators. The median annual wage across those occupations is $93,882, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $74,821. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.5% higher, with about 140 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 occupation-wide wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)
-   Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility