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Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University

If you plan to study Mechanical Engineering, take a look at what Virginia Commonwealth University. Get started with the following essential facts.

Virginia Commonwealth University is in Richmond, VA.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 82 mechanical engineering degrees were granted at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Studying Online at Virginia Commonwealth University

Online coursework is an option at Virginia Commonwealth University. Among 28,464 students, 2,830 (10%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 15,400 (54%) took at least some classes online.

Mechanical Engineering Rankings at Virginia Commonwealth University

Rankings can help you compare Virginia Commonwealth University’s Mechanical Engineering program against peer institutions.

Bachelor’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Virginia	#4 of 7
Best Value	Virginia	#4 of 7
Best Schools (Quality)	Southeast (Region)	#24 of 70
Best Value	Southeast (Region)	#48 of 70
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#163 of 365
Best Value	Nationwide	#212 of 364

Earnings for Mechanical Engineering Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University

Students who complete Virginia Commonwealth University’s Mechanical Engineering program earn at the following median levels (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,311
2 years	$63,631
3 years	$69,376
4 years	$76,554
5 years	$87,500

Is this above or below average for the school? Four years out, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University take home a median $76,554, compared with $64,528 for all Virginia Commonwealth University graduates — about 19% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Median student loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University comes in at $22,235.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Below you’ll find the student demographics for Mechanical Engineering graduates at Virginia Commonwealth University, broken down by degree level.

Program-wide, Mechanical Engineering graduates at Virginia Commonwealth University are 15% women (12) and 85% men (70).

Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at Virginia Commonwealth University

Among the 82 bachelor’s mechanical engineering degrees awarded at Virginia Commonwealth University, 15% were women (12) and 85% were men (70).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	53
Hispanic / Latino	4
Black / African American	14
Asian	6
Two or More Races	2
International (Nonresident)	2
Unknown	1

Minority students account for 32% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Commonwealth University, lower than the national average of 34%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Mechanical Engineering Concentrations at Virginia Commonwealth University

The Mechanical Engineering program at Virginia Commonwealth University offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering	82

Highest-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Those who complete Mechanical Engineering program at Virginia Commonwealth University pursue many career paths. Below are the highest-paying careers for Mechanical Engineering majors, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Fuel Cell Engineers	$137,020
Automotive Engineers	$107,733
Architectural and Engineering Managers	$101,277
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers	$89,263
Cost Estimators	$80,966
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	$79,889
Mechanical Engineers	$79,543
Aerospace Engineers	$63,328

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.