{
  "major": "Mechanical Engineering",
  "slug": "mechanical-engineering",
  "field": "Engineering & Architecture",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-mechanical-engineering-schools/",
  "source": "U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2026 release); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
  "metric_definitions": {
    "median_earnings": "Median earnings one year after graduation (Scorecard)",
    "net_price": "Average annual cost of attendance after grant aid. For PUBLIC schools this reflects IN-STATE cost; out-of-state students pay more.",
    "roi_10yr_usd": "Ten years of earnings minus four years of net price",
    "public": "true = public university (net_price is in-state basis); false = private (residency-neutral)"
  },
  "total_colleges_with_reported_data": 324,
  "shown": 25,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "University of California-Berkeley",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 88497,
      "net_price": 13481,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 831046,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "Rice University",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 82899,
      "net_price": 13370,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 775510,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "University of Michigan-Ann Arbor",
      "state": "MI",
      "median_earnings": 82823,
      "net_price": 13138,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 775678,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "University of California-Los Angeles",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 79016,
      "net_price": 12548,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 739968,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "Oakland University",
      "state": "MI",
      "median_earnings": 78213,
      "net_price": 9120,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 745650,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "Cal Poly Maritime Academy",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 92315,
      "net_price": 20555,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 840930,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 83011,
      "net_price": 16665,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 763450,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "University of Alaska Fairbanks",
      "state": "AK",
      "median_earnings": 79438,
      "net_price": 10892,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 750812,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus",
      "state": "GA",
      "median_earnings": 78862,
      "net_price": 12116,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 740156,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "University of Florida",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 76228,
      "net_price": 6541,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 736116,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "University of Florida-Online",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 76228,
      "net_price": 4815,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 743020,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "California State Polytechnic University-Pomona",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 75040,
      "net_price": 11531,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 704276,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "California State University-Northridge",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 71359,
      "net_price": 7021,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 685506,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology",
      "state": "MA",
      "median_earnings": 83957,
      "net_price": 20111,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 759126,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "The University of Texas at Austin",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 82227,
      "net_price": 19857,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 742842,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "University of California-Santa Barbara",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 81108,
      "net_price": 16109,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 746644,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "Purdue University-Main Campus",
      "state": "IN",
      "median_earnings": 80374,
      "net_price": 14600,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 745340,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign",
      "state": "IL",
      "median_earnings": 80187,
      "net_price": 14355,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 744450,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "Vanderbilt University",
      "state": "TN",
      "median_earnings": 78009,
      "net_price": 15846,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 716706,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "Saginaw Valley State University",
      "state": "MI",
      "median_earnings": 76823,
      "net_price": 10775,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 725130,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "school": "University of Maryland-College Park",
      "state": "MD",
      "median_earnings": 76485,
      "net_price": 15678,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 702138,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "school": "Oregon Institute of Technology",
      "state": "OR",
      "median_earnings": 75750,
      "net_price": 15706,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 694676,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "school": "University of California-Davis",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 75231,
      "net_price": 14741,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 693346,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "school": "University of Michigan-Flint",
      "state": "MI",
      "median_earnings": 74974,
      "net_price": 7007,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 721712,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 25,
      "school": "University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus",
      "state": "CT",
      "median_earnings": 74869,
      "net_price": 10875,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 705190,
      "public": true
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  ]
}