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ME Major

ME

36,809 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
7,218 Master's Degrees Annually
#17 in Popularity

Types of Degrees ME Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many mechanical engineering graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 33,840
Master’s Degree 7,402
Doctor’s Degree 1,842
Associate Degree 230
Graduate Certificate 141
Basic Certificate 62
Undergraduate Certificate 5

What ME Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to me were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for ME Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in me should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Skills for ME Majors

When studying me, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Abilities for ME Majors

As you progress with your me degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a ME Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with me:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Aerospace Engineers 6.0% $115,220
Architectural and Engineering Managers 5.5% $140,760
Automotive Engineers 8.8% $87,370
Cost Estimators 10.5% $64,040
Engineering Professors 14.7% $101,720
Fuel Cell Engineers 8.8% $87,370
Mechanical Engineers 8.8% $87,370

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in ME?

33,840 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
18% Percent Women
32% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is one of the most frequently chosen undergraduate majors. It is the 17th most popular in the country with 36,809 students graduating with a bachelor’s in me in 2021. This major attracts more men than women. About 82% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of me majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 3,258
Black or African American 1,142
Hispanic or Latino 5,060
White 20,094
International Students 2,026
Other Races/Ethnicities 2,260

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in ME. About 6.0% of those with this major are international students.

Some degrees associated with me may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to me have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 1.1%
Some College Courses 1.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 3.3%
Bachelor’s Degree 61.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 3.1%
Master’s Degree 18.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.5%
Doctoral Degree 8.2%
Post-Doctoral Training 2.0%

Online ME Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 1 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 42 1
Bachelor’s Degree 31 6
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 237 18
Post-Master’s 9 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 155 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to me.

Major Number of Grads
Electrical Engineering 27,809
Civil Engineering 20,728
Computer Engineering 18,973
Biomedical Engineering 14,006
General Engineering 12,241
Chemical Engineering 11,830
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 9,220
Industrial Engineering 8,722
Systems Engineering 4,148
Materials Engineering 3,397
Other Engineering 3,221
Environmental Engineering 3,012
Electrical and Computer Engineering. 1,988
Operations Research 1,907
Robotics Engineering 1,759
Engineering Science 1,338
Agricultural Engineering 1,328
Construction Engineering 1,284
Architectural Engineering 1,090
Engineering Physics 1,047
Manufacturing Engineering 942
Petroleum Engineering 941
Nuclear Engineering 885
Biological Engineering 411
Marine Engineering 390
Geoscience Engineering 315
Mining Engineering 300
Textile Engineering 292
Ocean Engineering 290
Polymer & Plastics Engineering 290
Engineering Mechanics 209
Metallurgical Engineering 195
Energy Systems Engineering 187
Biochemical Engineering 141
Surveying Engineering 123
Ceramic Engineering 60
Forest Engineering 57
Paper Science & Engineering 48
Electromechanical Engineering 47
Engineering Chemistry 27

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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