Mechanical Engineering Technology Programs in the Midwest
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Technology Colleges in the Midwest
Regional list from Best Programs in Mechanical Engineering Technology
This page ranks the 20 Mechanical Engineering Technology programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Wayne State University leads the list at $97,257, followed by Purdue University-Main Campus at $86,891 and Central Michigan University at $86,472.
Across the listed programs, median earnings range from $97,257 to $43,798, with a median of $81,792.
The list is overwhelmingly public: 18 of the 20 schools are public, including Wayne State University and Purdue University-Main Campus. Wayne State University ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Purdue University Northwest posts the lowest average net price at $6,079.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $97,257 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University reports $97,257 in median earnings for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, and ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 2 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $86,891 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus admits 50% of applicants and shows an average net price of $14,600. | |||||
| 3 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $86,472 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University graduates in the earnings cohort number 22, and the program's median federal debt among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed is $28,000. | |||||
| 4 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $86,361 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University ranks 4th on this list, with median earnings of $86,361 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $85,533 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis posts an average net price of $5,701 for families earning under $30,000 and an admission rate of 76%. | |||||
| 6 | Purdue University Northwest · Hammond, IN | $85,242 | $6,079 | $1,432 | 72.4% |
| Purdue University Northwest carries an average net price of $6,079, the lowest on the page, and its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $85,242. | |||||
| 7 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $83,465 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
| University of Toledo reports median federal debt of $24,055 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $83,465 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $83,394 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| Michigan Technological University admits 92% of applicants, the top admission rate on the list, and its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $83,394. | |||||
| 9 | Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI | $82,821 | $8,624 | $2,556 | 91.4% |
| Ferris State University ranks 198th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $82,821 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI | $82,326 | $14,085 | $7,697 | 84.0% |
| Northern Michigan University shows median federal debt of $21,474 across all of its borrowers who completed, and its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $82,326. | |||||
| 11 | Purdue University Fort Wayne · Fort Wayne, IN | $81,259 | $13,171 | $8,306 | 83.9% |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne reports an average net price of $8,306 for families earning under $30,000 and a median of $81,259 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $80,611 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| University of Akron Main Campus graduates in the earnings cohort number 42, and the program's median federal debt among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed is $24,298. | |||||
| 13 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $80,482 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato reports median earnings of $80,482 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $19,139. | |||||
| 14 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $80,475 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Dayton, University of Dayton admits 65% of applicants and posts a median federal debt of $27,000 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $79,829 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University ranks 15th on this list and sits 319th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN | $79,527 | $10,873 | $6,455 | 80.8% |
| With an average net price of $6,455 for families earning under $30,000, Indiana State University graduates 70 students in the earnings cohort who earned a median of $79,527 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $79,299 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale reports median earnings of $79,299 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $15,193 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $58,673 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| Cleveland State University admits 91% of applicants and posts an average net price of $14,764, with median earnings of $58,673 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | McPherson College · Mcpherson, KS | $52,781 | $26,441 | $22,587 | 76.8% |
| McPherson College ranks 1402nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a median federal debt of $26,975 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 20 | University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO | $43,798 | $14,462 | $10,965 | 63.8% |
| University of Central Missouri reports median earnings of $43,798 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $10,965 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The earnings figures are medians for federally aided completers of the Mechanical Engineering Technology program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 20 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. Wayne State University leads Purdue University-Main Campus by a gap of $10,366, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $53,459.
Job market context in the Midwest
Graduates of Mechanical Engineering Technology programs in the Midwest enter occupations such as Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, and Mechanical Drafters. The median annual wage across those occupations is $53,217, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $42,386. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 16,490 openings a year, or about 1,462 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Employment in those occupations is projected to be about 3.1% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupational wage figures shown here.