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Best Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

The best colleges for a Mechanical Engineering degree, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania. Each school is shown with its acceptance rate, tuition, and average SAT so you can weigh Mechanical Engineering programs side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college for Mechanical Engineering?

Based on our rankings, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the top-ranked college for Mechanical Engineering. Other top choices include Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University.

What are the best Mechanical Engineering schools?

The best Mechanical Engineering schools, based on program-specific federal data including median earnings and graduate counts, are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania. Our rankings use College Scorecard field-of-study data rather than editorial opinion.

How much does it cost to study Mechanical Engineering?

The average out-of-state tuition among top Mechanical Engineering programs is approximately $61,228 per year. However, costs vary significantly — many schools offer generous financial aid packages that can reduce the effective cost.

How long does it take to get a Mechanical Engineering degree?

A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering typically takes four years of full-time study. Some programs offer accelerated tracks or combined bachelor's-to-master's options that can extend or shorten the timeline.

How are these Mechanical Engineering rankings determined?

Our major rankings are independently calculated from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study (CIP) data — primarily median earnings 4 years after graduation and program scale (graduate count), with a 10+ annual graduates minimum per program. They are not derived from US News or any other publication.

Career outcomes for Mechanical Engineering graduates

Among the top 10 ranked Mechanical Engineering programs, the average early-career salary is approximately $105,904 per year. Below are the highest-paying Mechanical Engineering programs based on federal College Scorecard earnings data reported by graduates four years after completion.

  1. 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Cambridge, MA · 4.6% acceptance · SAT 1,560 · $62,396 tuition · 96% grad rate
  2. 2. Stanford University — Stanford, CA · 3.6% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $65,910 tuition · 92% grad rate
  3. 3. University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, PA · 5.4% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $68,686 tuition · 97% grad rate
  4. 4. Princeton University — Princeton, NJ · 4.6% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $62,688 tuition · 98% grad rate
  5. 5. Columbia University in the City of New York — New York, NY · 4% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $71,845 tuition · 96% grad rate
  6. 6. Duke University — Durham, NC · 5.7% acceptance · SAT 1,548 · $68,758 tuition · 97% grad rate
  7. 7. Cornell University — Ithaca, NY · 8.8% acceptance · SAT 1,535 · $69,314 tuition · 95% grad rate
  8. 8. University of California-Berkeley — Berkeley, CA · 11% acceptance · $50,547 tuition · 93% grad rate
  9. 9. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, MI · 15.6% acceptance · SAT 1,465 · $60,946 tuition · 93% grad rate
  10. 10. Rice University — Houston, TX · 8% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $64,144 tuition · 95% grad rate
  11. 11. Carnegie Mellon University — Pittsburgh, PA · 11.7% acceptance · SAT 1,546 · $66,246 tuition · 94% grad rate
  12. 12. Northwestern University — Evanston, IL · 7.7% acceptance · SAT 1,533 · $68,322 tuition · 95% grad rate
  13. 13. University of Southern California — Los Angeles, CA · 9.8% acceptance · SAT 1,495 · $72,097 tuition · 92% grad rate
  14. 14. Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, MD · 6.4% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $65,230 tuition · 94% grad rate
  15. 15. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus — Atlanta, GA · 14.1% acceptance · SAT 1,480 · $34,484 tuition · 94% grad rate
  16. 16. Northeastern University — Boston, MA · 5.2% acceptance · SAT 1,497 · $66,162 tuition · 91% grad rate
  17. 17. The University of Texas at Austin — Austin, TX · 26.6% acceptance · SAT 1,395 · $44,908 tuition · 89% grad rate
  18. 18. Purdue University-Main Campus — West Lafayette, IN · 49.9% acceptance · SAT 1,364 · $28,794 tuition · 83% grad rate
  19. 19. University of California-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA · 9% acceptance · $49,403 tuition · 93% grad rate
  20. 20. Vanderbilt University — Nashville, TN · 5.9% acceptance · SAT 1,549 · $67,498 tuition · 94% grad rate
  21. 21. University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame, IN · 11.3% acceptance · SAT 1,520 · $65,025 tuition · 95% grad rate
  22. 22. Santa Clara University — Santa Clara, CA · 48% acceptance · SAT 1,426 · $61,293 tuition · 88% grad rate
  23. 23. University of Virginia-Main Campus — Charlottesville, VA · 16.8% acceptance · SAT 1,480 · $59,512 tuition · 96% grad rate
  24. 24. Washington University in St Louis — St. Louis, MO · 12.1% acceptance · SAT 1,530 · $65,790 tuition · 94% grad rate
  25. 25. Tufts University — Medford, MA · 11.5% acceptance · SAT 1,513 · $70,704 tuition · 94% grad rate

Best Colleges for Mechanical Engineering on PickACampus