College Rankings

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools

The top 25 of 324 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Mechanical Engineering worth it?

Few undergraduate degrees offer a more reliable, ironclad payoff than mechanical engineering, provided you don't overpay for the diploma. Because the field is strictly regulated by ABET accreditation, employers care far more about your internship experience, co-ops, and technical chops than institutional prestige. The greatest value overwhelmingly sits at low-cost public universities situated near massive industrial hubs—think California's aerospace sector or Michigan's automotive corridor. If you can secure in-state tuition at a heavy-hitting regional public, the degree pays for itself almost immediately, making expensive private engineering programs a surprisingly tough financial sell.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	University of California-Berkeley	CA	78	$88,497	$13,481†	+$831K
2	Rice University	TX	77	$82,899	$13,370	+$776K
3	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	77	$82,823	$13,138†	+$776K
4	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	77	$79,016	$12,548†	+$740K
5	Oakland University	MI	77	$78,213	$9,120†	+$746K
6	Cal Poly Maritime Academy	CA	76	$92,315	$20,555†	+$841K
7	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	CA	76	$83,011	$16,665†	+$763K
8	University of Alaska Fairbanks	AK	76	$79,438	$10,892†	+$751K
9	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	GA	76	$78,862	$12,116†	+$740K
10	University of Florida	FL	76	$76,228	$6,541†	+$736K
11	University of Florida-Online	FL	76	$76,228	$4,815†	+$743K
12	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	CA	76	$75,040	$11,531†	+$704K
13	California State University-Northridge	CA	76	$71,359	$7,021†	+$686K
14	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	75	$83,957	$20,111	+$759K
15	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	75	$82,227	$19,857†	+$743K
16	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	75	$81,108	$16,109†	+$747K
17	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	75	$80,374	$14,600†	+$745K
18	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	75	$80,187	$14,355†	+$744K
19	Vanderbilt University	TN	75	$78,009	$15,846	+$717K
20	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	75	$76,823	$10,775†	+$725K
21	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	75	$76,485	$15,678†	+$702K
22	Oregon Institute of Technology	OR	75	$75,750	$15,706†	+$695K
23	University of California-Davis	CA	75	$75,231	$14,741†	+$693K
24	University of Michigan-Flint	MI	75	$74,974	$7,007†	+$722K
25	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	75	$74,869	$10,875†	+$705K
26	Wayne State University	MI	75	$74,457	$12,766†	+$694K
27	California State University-Chico	CA	75	$73,297	$14,480†	+$675K
28	San Francisco State University	CA	75	$72,647	$12,278†	+$677K
29	Florida International University	FL	75	$71,335	$9,288†	+$676K
30	University of Michigan-Dearborn	MI	75	$70,688	$9,492†	+$669K
31	Lamar University	TX	75	$68,359	$9,366†	+$646K
32	Duke University	NC	74	$89,938	$29,612	+$781K
33	Michigan State University	MI	74	$80,259	$19,680†	+$724K
34	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	74	$79,359	$17,339†	+$724K
35	SUNY Maritime College	NY	74	$77,895	$22,367†	+$689K
36	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	74	$75,311	$19,151†	+$677K
37	University of Arizona	AZ	74	$75,211	$16,674†	+$685K
38	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	74	$75,146	$14,967†	+$692K
39	Michigan Technological University	MI	74	$74,922	$14,182†	+$692K
40	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	74	$74,869	$13,807†	+$693K
41	University of Houston	TX	74	$74,043	$14,276†	+$683K
42	Portland State University	OR	74	$73,079	$9,552†	+$693K
43	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	74	$72,278	$10,846†	+$679K
44	West Virginia University Institute of Technology	WV	74	$71,504	$9,337†	+$678K
45	University of Missouri-Kansas City	MO	74	$71,072	$13,310†	+$657K
46	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	CO	74	$70,763	$11,900†	+$660K
47	University of South Florida	FL	74	$70,046	$9,812†	+$661K
48	University of California-San Diego	CA	74	$69,555	$12,470†	+$646K
49	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	74	$69,161	$3,925†	+$676K
50	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	74	$69,161	$5,755†	+$669K
51	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	74	$69,161	$5,993†	+$668K
52	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	74	$69,161	$5,650†	+$669K
53	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	74	$69,161	$5,746†	+$669K
54	Purdue University Northwest	IN	74	$68,632	$6,079†	+$662K
55	Florida Atlantic University	FL	74	$68,451	$8,752†	+$650K
56	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus	WA	74	$66,947	$10,163†	+$629K
57	California State University-Fresno	CA	74	$65,938	$7,000†	+$631K
58	CUNY City College	NY	74	$65,905	$3,776†	+$644K
59	California State University-Fullerton	CA	74	$65,252	$6,555†	+$626K
60	Franklin W Olin College of Engineering	MA	73	$87,590	$25,171	+$775K
61	Missouri University of Science and Technology	MO	73	$75,855	$16,298†	+$693K
62	Mississippi State University	MS	73	$75,161	$17,595†	+$681K
63	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	73	$74,869	$16,798†	+$681K
64	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	73	$74,869	$16,403†	+$683K
65	Central Connecticut State University	CT	73	$74,676	$16,857†	+$679K
66	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	73	$74,611	$17,354†	+$677K
67	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	73	$73,433	$16,778†	+$667K
68	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	73	$73,414	$17,163†	+$665K
69	Washington State University	WA	73	$72,690	$14,971†	+$667K
70	Old Dominion University	VA	73	$71,774	$14,638†	+$659K
71	University of Alaska Anchorage	AK	73	$71,501	$15,301†	+$654K
72	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	73	$71,424	$15,300†	+$653K
73	Louisiana Tech University	LA	73	$70,372	$11,864†	+$656K
74	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	73	$69,871	$10,974†	+$655K
75	San Diego State University	CA	73	$69,754	$15,364†	+$636K
76	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	73	$69,746	$11,668†	+$651K
77	University of New Orleans	LA	73	$68,968	$12,384†	+$640K
78	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	73	$68,943	$8,221	+$657K
79	University of Southern Maine	ME	73	$68,318	$13,596†	+$629K
80	Brigham Young University	UT	73	$67,668	$15,564	+$614K
81	University of California-Irvine	CA	73	$67,633	$14,251†	+$619K
82	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	73	$66,947	$14,091†	+$613K
83	University of Washington-Bothell Campus	WA	73	$66,947	$12,319†	+$620K
84	University of North Florida	FL	73	$66,743	$10,154†	+$627K
85	Prairie View A & M University	TX	73	$66,678	$13,570†	+$612K
86	California State University-Sacramento	CA	73	$66,462	$9,338†	+$627K
87	University of Central Florida	FL	73	$66,298	$10,411†	+$621K
88	The University of Texas Permian Basin	TX	73	$65,167	$12,723†	+$601K
89	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	NM	73	$62,813	$8,889†	+$593K
90	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	73	$62,393	$9,403†	+$586K
91	California State University-Long Beach	CA	73	$60,996	$10,440†	+$568K
92	Cornell University	NY	72	$85,440	$28,690	+$740K
93	Texas A&M University-College Station	TX	72	$77,785	$21,315†	+$693K
94	University of Toledo	OH	72	$77,011	$17,249†	+$701K
95	Grand Valley State University	MI	72	$75,777	$16,317†	+$693K
96	University of Delaware	DE	72	$74,313	$17,799†	+$672K
97	Texas Tech University	TX	72	$73,268	$19,070†	+$656K
98	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	72	$72,158	$15,543†	+$659K
99	Washington University in St Louis	MO	72	$72,057	$21,786	+$633K
100	Columbia University in the City of New York	NY	72	$72,036	$21,590	+$634K
101	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	72	$71,519	$16,467†	+$649K
102	West Virginia University	WV	72	$71,504	$15,634†	+$653K
103	University of Akron Main Campus	OH	72	$71,448	$13,946†	+$659K
104	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown	PA	72	$71,406	$18,202†	+$641K
105	University of Kansas	KS	72	$70,726	$18,059†	+$635K
106	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	72	$70,474	$15,014†	+$645K
107	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	CO	72	$70,440	$15,788†	+$641K
108	University of Tulsa	OK	72	$70,220	$15,000	+$642K
109	Saint Cloud State University	MN	72	$70,179	$13,529†	+$648K
110	University of Mississippi	MS	72	$70,038	$13,314†	+$647K
111	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	72	$69,638	$15,071†	+$636K
112	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	72	$69,454	$13,297†	+$641K
113	Utah State University	UT	72	$69,406	$14,936†	+$634K
114	University of Memphis	TN	72	$69,386	$12,397†	+$644K
115	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	72	$69,188	$13,951†	+$636K
116	Arkansas Tech University	AR	72	$68,765	$12,970†	+$636K
117	Stony Brook University	NY	72	$68,729	$18,784†	+$612K
118	Western Michigan University	MI	72	$68,260	$15,273†	+$622K
119	Northern Illinois University	IL	72	$68,069	$13,391†	+$627K
120	Wichita State University	KS	72	$68,018	$13,194†	+$627K
121	University of California-Merced	CA	72	$67,096	$11,983†	+$623K
122	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	72	$67,050	$10,359†	+$629K
123	Idaho State University	ID	72	$66,385	$12,193†	+$615K
124	Wright State University-Lake Campus	OH	72	$66,331	$11,081†	+$619K
125	The University of Texas at San Antonio	TX	72	$64,313	$10,836†	+$600K
126	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	LA	72	$63,812	$13,530†	+$584K
127	University of California-Riverside	CA	72	$62,554	$14,304†	+$568K
128	Florida State University	FL	72	$62,021	$11,297†	+$575K
129	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	NM	72	$61,611	$15,489†	+$554K
130	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	NM	72	$57,424	$9,873†	+$535K
131	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	72	$55,405	$3,967†	+$538K
132	West Texas A & M University	TX	71	$78,028	$19,487†	+$702K
133	University of the Pacific	CA	71	$76,785	$25,447	+$666K
134	Arkansas State University	AR	71	$74,284	$12,366†	+$693K
135	University of Alabama in Huntsville	AL	71	$73,984	$18,796†	+$665K
136	University of North Dakota	ND	71	$73,603	$18,551†	+$662K
137	Iowa State University	IA	71	$72,900	$18,589†	+$655K
138	University of Missouri-Columbia	MO	71	$71,800	$20,268†	+$637K
139	University of Wisconsin-Platteville	WI	71	$71,612	$16,032†	+$652K
140	University of Louisville	KY	71	$71,169	$17,988†	+$640K
141	University of Utah	UT	71	$70,999	$16,200†	+$645K
142	Western Kentucky University	KY	71	$70,722	$10,990†	+$663K
143	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	OK	71	$69,905	$17,447†	+$629K
144	Central Michigan University	MI	71	$69,862	$17,597†	+$628K
145	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton	PA	71	$69,772	$17,910†	+$626K
146	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	71	$69,178	$15,435†	+$630K
147	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	71	$69,078	$17,303†	+$622K
148	Oregon State University	OR	71	$68,686	$19,604†	+$608K
149	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	71	$68,686	$18,048†	+$615K
150	New Jersey Institute of Technology	NJ	71	$68,675	$16,504†	+$621K
151	Georgia Southern University	GA	71	$68,462	$15,267†	+$624K
152	Youngstown State University	OH	71	$68,061	$12,767†	+$630K
153	Kennesaw State University	GA	71	$67,158	$15,048†	+$611K
154	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	71	$66,546	$14,889†	+$606K
155	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	71	$66,517	$14,265†	+$608K
156	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	TX	71	$66,404	$15,225†	+$603K
157	Tennessee Technological University	TN	71	$66,228	$14,246†	+$605K
158	University of Idaho	ID	71	$65,409	$14,831†	+$595K
159	The University of Texas at Tyler	TX	71	$64,977	$13,323†	+$596K
160	Northern Arizona University	AZ	71	$63,252	$14,158†	+$576K
161	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	71	$60,924	$4,831†	+$590K
162	University of Notre Dame	IN	70	$84,999	$26,780	+$743K
163	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	VA	70	$78,280	$24,953†	+$683K
164	Carnegie Mellon University	PA	70	$76,523	$31,944	+$637K
165	Boston University	MA	70	$76,337	$24,402	+$666K
166	The University of Alabama	AL	70	$75,238	$22,420†	+$663K
167	Southern University and A & M College	LA	70	$75,001	$20,077†	+$670K
168	University of Virginia-Main Campus	VA	70	$74,366	$21,565†	+$657K
169	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	MA	70	$73,972	$22,383†	+$650K
170	Kansas State University	KS	70	$72,627	$19,406†	+$649K
171	Alabama A & M University	AL	70	$71,954	$17,621†	+$649K
172	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	MA	70	$71,559	$20,927†	+$632K
173	University of Arkansas	AR	70	$71,407	$18,209†	+$641K
174	University of Central Oklahoma	OK	70	$71,362	$18,309†	+$640K
175	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	70	$71,318	$17,747†	+$642K
176	University of Rhode Island	RI	70	$70,724	$21,440†	+$621K
177	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	PA	70	$69,772	$19,550†	+$620K
178	University of Maine	ME	70	$69,687	$17,510†	+$627K
179	Minnesota State University-Mankato	MN	70	$68,919	$19,139†	+$613K
180	University of North Texas	TX	70	$68,173	$15,649†	+$619K
181	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	70	$67,764	$18,743†	+$603K
182	University of South Alabama	AL	70	$67,175	$17,648†	+$601K
183	University of Pennsylvania	PA	70	$66,876	$28,699	+$554K
184	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	70	$66,331	$15,415†	+$602K
185	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	70	$65,756	$18,976†	+$582K
186	Cleveland State University	OH	70	$65,531	$14,764†	+$596K
187	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	70	$61,977	$15,927†	+$556K
188	Texas A&M University-Kingsville	TX	70	$56,135	$12,090†	+$513K
189	University of Southern California	CA	69	$83,356	$32,740	+$703K
190	Northeastern University	MA	69	$80,255	$30,915	+$679K
191	Northwestern University	IL	69	$75,253	$29,167	+$636K
192	University of Connecticut	CT	69	$74,869	$25,097†	+$648K
193	Clemson University	SC	69	$73,220	$22,253†	+$643K
194	Bradley University	IL	69	$71,746	$22,719	+$627K
195	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	69	$71,569	$24,406†	+$618K
196	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	NH	69	$70,865	$23,805†	+$613K
197	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology	SD	69	$69,667	$20,183†	+$616K
198	University of Kentucky	KY	69	$68,448	$18,851†	+$609K
199	Illinois Institute of Technology	IL	69	$65,386	$18,425	+$580K
200	University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez	PR	69	$64,869	$17,936†	+$577K
201	Eastern Washington University	WA	69	$62,497	$13,886†	+$569K
202	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	69	$53,182	$15,664†	+$469K
203	Auburn University	AL	68	$74,005	$24,323†	+$643K
204	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	68	$73,355	$23,433†	+$640K
205	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	68	$72,370	$22,811†	+$632K
206	University of Iowa	IA	68	$71,732	$22,531†	+$627K
207	University of Mount Union	OH	68	$71,097	$23,280	+$618K
208	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	68	$69,772	$23,330†	+$604K
209	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	68	$69,161	$21,637†	+$605K
210	Montana State University	MT	68	$68,469	$22,499†	+$595K
211	Valparaiso University	IN	68	$68,265	$18,578	+$608K
212	South Dakota State University	SD	68	$67,791	$19,841†	+$599K
213	University of Vermont	VT	68	$61,626	$19,343†	+$539K
214	The University of Texas at Dallas	TX	68	$61,113	$18,267†	+$538K
215	University of Wyoming	WY	68	$57,153	$13,599†	+$517K
216	Midwestern State University	TX	68	$56,371	$11,656†	+$517K
217	Kettering University	MI	67	$79,307	$34,660	+$654K
218	University of San Diego	CA	67	$77,962	$30,365	+$658K
219	University of Portland	OR	67	$76,909	$28,210	+$656K
220	Colorado School of Mines	CO	67	$74,145	$28,690†	+$627K
221	Ohio Northern University	OH	67	$72,443	$24,478	+$627K
222	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	67	$72,412	$25,648†	+$622K
223	California Baptist University	CA	67	$72,224	$26,285	+$617K
224	Manhattan University	NY	67	$70,841	$27,256	+$599K
225	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	PA	67	$69,772	$24,558†	+$599K
226	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks	PA	67	$69,772	$24,356†	+$600K
227	Milwaukee School of Engineering	WI	67	$68,976	$22,453	+$600K
228	Rowan University	NJ	67	$66,909	$22,408†	+$579K
229	Binghamton University	NY	67	$66,371	$21,620†	+$577K
230	Widener University	PA	67	$65,515	$25,759	+$552K
231	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	67	$60,720	$21,279†	+$522K
232	University of Alabama at Birmingham	AL	67	$58,191	$18,749†	+$507K
233	Princeton University	NJ	66	$85,328	$6,128	+$829K
234	Villanova University	PA	66	$80,962	$43,756	+$635K
235	The Catholic University of America	DC	66	$76,409	$29,561	+$646K
236	University of Rochester	NY	66	$73,828	$29,278	+$621K
237	University of Dayton	OH	66	$71,911	$29,533	+$601K
238	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	66	$66,089	$25,346†	+$560K
239	University at Buffalo	NY	66	$65,094	$20,995†	+$567K
240	Boise State University	ID	66	$62,835	$21,610†	+$542K
241	Santa Clara University	CA	65	$81,865	$50,062	+$618K
242	Wentworth Institute of Technology	MA	65	$77,828	$34,170	+$642K
243	Lawrence Technological University	MI	65	$77,321	$32,918	+$642K
244	Lehigh University	PA	65	$75,479	$36,931	+$607K
245	Clarkson University	NY	65	$73,168	$30,305	+$610K
246	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	65	$71,406	$30,434†	+$592K
247	University of St Thomas	MN	65	$68,440	$29,155	+$568K
248	Trine University	IN	65	$66,816	$25,355	+$567K
249	George Washington University	DC	64	$82,361	$36,586	+$677K
250	Bucknell University	PA	64	$79,391	$40,766	+$631K
251	Stevens Institute of Technology	NJ	64	$77,925	$41,346	+$614K
252	Cedarville University	OH	64	$69,178	$24,468	+$594K
253	Seattle University	WA	64	$67,851	$34,662	+$540K
254	Gannon University	PA	64	$65,796	$22,553	+$568K
255	Oklahoma Christian University	OK	64	$65,764	$21,872	+$570K
256	Virginia Military Institute	VA	64	$47,837	$17,113†	+$410K
257	Tufts University	MA	63	$78,441	$39,998	+$624K
258	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	MA	63	$78,182	$43,071	+$610K
259	Lake Superior State University	MI	63	$77,229	$12,822†	+$721K
260	Rochester Institute of Technology	NY	63	$76,263	$34,906	+$623K
261	Tuskegee University	AL	63	$75,759	$35,013	+$618K
262	Drexel University	PA	63	$74,267	$38,509	+$589K
263	University of Hartford	CT	63	$73,871	$30,282	+$618K
264	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	NY	63	$73,833	$36,228	+$593K
265	Marquette University	WI	63	$73,049	$31,487	+$605K
266	Lafayette College	PA	63	$72,481	$34,433	+$587K
267	Christian Brothers University	TN	63	$71,112	$9,854	+$672K
268	Union College	NY	63	$68,407	$34,561	+$546K
269	Miami University-Oxford	OH	63	$68,067	$28,384†	+$567K
270	Temple University	PA	63	$66,161	$28,198†	+$549K
271	Hofstra University	NY	63	$65,641	$34,176	+$520K
272	Alfred University	NY	63	$63,747	$25,620	+$535K
273	Southern Methodist University	TX	62	$79,280	$40,892	+$629K
274	University of Detroit Mercy	MI	62	$78,552	$15,232	+$725K
275	University of Georgia	GA	62	$73,872	$13,936†	+$683K
276	Saint Martin's University	WA	62	$69,938	$28,119	+$587K
277	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	62	$69,772	$32,875†	+$566K
278	Florida Institute of Technology	FL	62	$69,533	$35,639	+$553K
279	University of Miami	FL	62	$66,843	$37,244	+$519K
280	Syracuse University	NY	62	$66,789	$38,793	+$513K
281	The College of New Jersey	NJ	62	$65,761	$27,646†	+$547K
282	Wilkes University	PA	62	$63,062	$27,743	+$520K
283	Harding University	AR	62	$53,229	$22,130	+$444K
284	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	IN	61	$78,732	$42,513	+$617K
285	Case Western Reserve University	OH	61	$76,736	$41,190	+$603K
286	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott	AZ	61	$73,433	$40,287	+$573K
287	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach	FL	61	$73,433	$41,272	+$569K
288	University of Denver	CO	61	$65,014	$36,131	+$506K
289	LeTourneau University	TX	61	$63,073	$28,185	+$518K
290	Marshall University	WV	61	$61,020	$7,502†	+$580K
291	Baylor University	TX	60	$75,726	$41,104	+$593K
292	Montana Technological University	MT	60	$73,901	$16,481†	+$673K
293	Gonzaga University	WA	60	$70,819	$35,119	+$568K
294	Baker College	MI	60	$68,060	$13,157	+$628K
295	Florida Polytechnic University	FL	60	$62,595	$11,853†	+$579K
296	University of New Haven	CT	60	$62,534	$34,192	+$489K
297	University of West Florida	FL	60	$58,548	$9,364†	+$548K
298	Norwich University	VT	60	$48,799	$22,257	+$399K
299	York College of Pennsylvania	PA	59	$74,445	$18,556	+$670K
300	George Mason University	VA	59	$73,570	$17,915†	+$664K
301	University of Wisconsin-Stout	WI	59	$73,260	$17,490†	+$663K
302	Purdue University Fort Wayne	IN	59	$64,534	$13,171†	+$593K
303	Roger Williams University	RI	58	$65,396	$37,999	+$502K
304	New York University	NY	58	$64,687	$37,050	+$499K
305	SUNY Polytechnic Institute	NY	57	$60,249	$14,164†	+$546K
306	University of Evansville	IN	56	$66,553	$18,499	+$592K
307	State University of New York at New Paltz	NY	56	$66,274	$18,809†	+$588K
308	Fairfield University	CT	56	$62,846	$48,095	+$436K
309	Loyola Marymount University	CA	56	$60,798	$48,381	+$414K
310	Saint Louis University	MO	55	$74,209	$24,398	+$644K
311	Saint Ambrose University	IA	55	$73,622	$24,691	+$637K
312	Tennessee State University	TN	55	$58,828	$15,796†	+$525K
313	Seattle Pacific University	WA	54	$71,039	$24,488	+$612K
314	Grand Canyon University	AZ	54	$68,391	$22,472	+$594K
315	Lipscomb University	TN	53	$67,725	$24,739	+$578K
316	Benedictine College	KS	52	$71,539	$27,891	+$604K
317	Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology	NY	50	$74,472	$39,986	+$585K
318	Liberty University	VA	50	$65,794	$29,357	+$541K
319	New York Institute of Technology	NY	49	$56,254	$22,443	+$473K
320	Merrimack College	MA	48	$68,615	$37,927	+$534K
321	Citadel Military College of South Carolina	SC	48	$52,602	$20,723†	+$443K
322	Quinnipiac University	CT	47	$65,640	$40,675	+$494K
323	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon	PR	47	$35,250	$9,284	+$315K
324	Tarleton State University	TX	45	$48,585	$20,783†	+$403K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

University of California-Berkeley claims the top spot because its graduates have a VIP pass to the wealthiest tech and aerospace ecosystems on the planet. Berkeley engineers feed directly into Silicon Valley hardware roles at Apple and Tesla, as well as defense and space giants like Lockheed Martin and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. The combination of elite Bay Area salaries and the highly subsidized in-state tuition of the UC system creates an unbeatable financial outcome.

But the real story of this ranking is Oakland University sitting at #5, casually beating out MIT, Purdue, and Georgia Tech. Oakland is located in Rochester, Michigan—the absolute epicenter of the American automotive industry. Its mechanical engineering students are practically embedded in the R&D departments of Ford, GM, Stellantis, and a massive network of Tier 1 auto suppliers like BorgWarner and Magna. That hyper-local pipeline, combined with a highly accessible tuition rate, proves that proximity to industry beats global prestige when it comes to raw return on investment. This same automotive effect lifts other regional Michigan schools like Saginaw Valley State and UM-Flint, while the University of Alaska Fairbanks leverages its direct pipeline into the lucrative, high-paying North Slope oil and gas sector to secure a top-ten finish.

What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering is the Swiss Army knife of the engineering world, focused on designing, building, and testing anything with moving parts. Day-to-day, these engineers might be running thermal simulations on a new electric vehicle battery, designing HVAC systems for commercial skyscrapers, or optimizing the aerodynamics of a commercial drone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a master's degree to get a good job?

No. A bachelor's degree is the terminal credential for the vast majority of mechanical engineering roles. While a master's can help you pivot into highly specialized areas like robotics or advanced fluid dynamics, the standard entry-level design, testing, and manufacturing jobs only require a B.S. and passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.

Why did MIT and Purdue rank lower than regional state schools?

This ranking measures the financial reality of debt versus earnings, not academic prestige. MIT and Purdue produce brilliant engineers, but MIT's private tuition and Purdue's out-of-state costs (for non-Indiana residents) drag down their net ROI compared to commuting to a local state school. An engineer from Oakland University or Cal Poly Pomona is still making an excellent starting salary, but they are doing it with a fraction of the student loan burden.

Should I choose mechanical engineering or a more specialized field like aerospace?

Mechanical is almost always the safer bet for undergraduates. It is the broadest engineering discipline, meaning you can easily get hired into aerospace, automotive, energy, or biomedical roles. If you major in aerospace and the aviation industry hits a downturn, your options are limited; if you major in mechanical, you can simply pivot to designing wind turbines or consumer electronics without missing a beat.