Best Programs in Mechanical Engineering Technology (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 50 Mechanical Engineering Technology programs in the United States by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Cal Poly Maritime Academy leads the list with median earnings of $126,209 four years after completing, followed by University of Massachusetts-Lowell at $120,219 and Metropolitan State University of Denver at $98,267.
Across the listed programs, the median figure is $81,080, with a spread of $82,411 from $126,209 to $43,798. For 5 of the 50 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 88% of the list, with 44 public and 6 private nonprofit schools represented. CUNY New York City College of Technology posts the lowest average net price at $5,127, and Metropolitan State University of Denver reports the highest admission rate, admitting 99% of applicants.
University of Houston ranks 13th 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, alongside an average net price of $20,555. | |||||
| 2 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $120,219 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell ranks 2nd on this list and shows an admission rate of 83%. | |||||
| 3 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $98,267 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver posts median earnings of $98,267 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 55 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 4 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $97,257 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University carries a median federal debt of $21,250 across all of its borrowers who completed, and its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates earn a median of $97,257 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Farmingdale State College · Farmingdale, NY | $91,941 | $10,867 | $4,933 | 63.3% |
| Farmingdale State College has an average net price of $4,933 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | University of Maine · Orono, ME | $91,879 | $17,510 | $12,642 | 96.6% |
| University of Maine ranks 615th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates earn a median of $91,879 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $91,230 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona admits 75% of applicants and reports median earnings of $91,230 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Central Connecticut State University · New Britain, CT | $90,472 | $16,857 | $13,589 | 73.3% |
| Central Connecticut State University shows a median federal debt of $29,250 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | Art Center College of Design · Pasadena, CA | $90,188 | $48,661 | $39,645 | 74.5% |
| Art Center College of Design, a private nonprofit institution, reports median earnings of $90,188 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Oregon Institute of Technology · Klamath Falls, OR | $88,036 | $15,706 | $9,085 | 95.0% |
| Oregon Institute of Technology has an average net price of $15,706 and a median federal debt of $22,500 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 11 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $86,891 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $86,891 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 307 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $86,472 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University ranks 414th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an admission rate of 90%. | |||||
| 13 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $86,361 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University reports median earnings of $86,361 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,767. | |||||
| 14 | Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY | $86,226 | $34,906 | $24,680 | 66.9% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology ranks 363rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries a median federal debt of $28,000 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $85,533 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis admits 76% of applicants and posts median earnings of $85,533 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Purdue University Northwest · Hammond, IN | $85,242 | $6,079 | $1,432 | 72.4% |
| Ranking 16th on this list, Purdue University Northwest shows an average net price of $1,432 for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $20,750 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 17 | 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, with a cohort of 19 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 18 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $84,692 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page at 13th among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $84,692 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $83,465 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
| With an admission rate of 92%, University of Toledo reports median earnings of $83,465 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $83,394 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| Michigan Technological University posts an average net price of $2,045 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $83,394 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | LeTourneau University · Longview, TX | $83,158 | $28,185 | $22,785 | 38.0% |
| LeTourneau University, a private nonprofit institution, admits 38% of applicants and shows a school-wide median federal debt of $26,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 22 | Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA | $83,083 | $15,048 | $12,235 | 69.2% |
| Kennesaw State University ranks 24th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $83,083 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI | $82,821 | $8,624 | $2,556 | 91.4% |
| Ferris State University reports a cohort of 106 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $82,821 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI | $82,326 | $14,085 | $7,697 | 84.0% |
| Northern Michigan University carries a school-wide median federal debt of $21,474 across all of its borrowers who completed and reports median earnings of $82,326 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Purdue University Fort Wayne · Fort Wayne, IN | $81,259 | $13,171 | $8,306 | 83.9% |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne reports median earnings of $81,259 for its Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $27,000 among Mechanical Engineering Technology completers who borrowed. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Marine Engineering Technology/Technician 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 5 of the 50 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 50 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked Cal Poly Maritime Academy and second-ranked University of Massachusetts-Lowell is $5,990.
Job market context in the United States
The field of Mechanical Engineering Technology links to 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 $54,756, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $42,560. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 79,000 openings a year, or about 2,978 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.5% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures described here.
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