Mechanical Engineering Technology Programs in the West
Updated
Regional list from Best Programs in Mechanical Engineering Technology
This page ranks the 9 Mechanical Engineering Technology programs in the West by median earnings of Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Cal Poly Maritime Academy leads the list at 1st with median earnings of $126,209 four years after completing.
Across the nine listed programs, the figure ranges from $126,209 to $53,940, with a median of $88,036.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 9 programs, with one private nonprofit school rounding out the list. Colorado State University Pueblo posts the lowest average net price at $10,051, while California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th 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 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA | $126,209 | $20,555 | $13,552 | 95.0% |
| Cal Poly Maritime Academy reports median earnings of $126,209 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, with 35 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $98,267 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver admits 99% of applicants and shows a median federal debt of $27,307 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $91,230 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $11,531. | |||||
| 4 | Art Center College of Design · Pasadena, CA | $90,188 | $48,661 | $39,645 | 74.5% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Pasadena, Art Center College of Design posts median earnings of $90,188 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Oregon Institute of Technology · Klamath Falls, OR | $88,036 | $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 admission rate is 95%. | |||||
| 6 | Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA | $84,871 | $18,476 | $11,846 | 90.6% |
| Central Washington University reports median earnings of $84,871 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 19 graduates. | |||||
| 7 | Montana State University · Bozeman, MT | $80,089 | $22,499 | $17,797 | 82.1% |
| Montana State University lists an average net price of $22,499 and a median federal debt of $28,000 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $76,693 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Eastern Washington University shows a school-wide median federal debt of $19,500 across all of its borrowers who completed, alongside median earnings of $76,693 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Colorado State University Pueblo · Pueblo, CO | $53,940 | $10,051 | $9,374 | 94.9% |
| Colorado State University Pueblo ranks 9th on this list and reports median earnings of $53,940 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 West appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of Mechanical Engineering Technology who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. 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 ninth-ranked program is $72,269, and the gap between Cal Poly Maritime Academy and Metropolitan State University of Denver is $27,942.
Job market context in the West
Graduates of Mechanical Engineering Technology programs in the West 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 $60,874, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $46,298. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 18,150 openings a year, or about 4,332 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 6.4% 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 occupational wage figures shown here.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in the West
- Best Engineering Technology Colleges for Social Mobility in the West
- Engineering Technology Colleges in the West