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Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools

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2023 Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools

385 Colleges
$64,776 Avg Salary
$23,989 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned a degree or certificate in mechanical engineering, making the major the #21 most popular in the United States.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 385 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Mechanical Engineering program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Our 2023 rankings named Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus the most popular school in the United States for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Georgia Tech is a very large public school located in the large city of Atlanta.

Of the 510 students majoring in ME at Georgia Tech, 78% are male and 22% are female.

On average, ME graduates from Georgia Tech take out $24,076 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $404.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very large student population.

Women make up 13% of the ME majors at the school.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, ME majors at Iowa State accumulate an average of around $23,003 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $338, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University

Out of the 385 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Florida landed the # 3 spot on the list. UCF is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Orlando.

About 18% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 82% are male.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from UCF carry an average student debt load of $24,885.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of Central Florida Report

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Texas A&M University - College Station is a great place for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the city of College Station.

About 21% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 80% are male.

ME majors at Texas A&M College Station take out an average of $19,833 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $240, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Purdue University - Main Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular mechanical engineering schools in the United States. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a very large student population.

Women make up 18% of the ME majors at the school.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $572.

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#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.

Of the 376 students majoring in ME at Virginia Tech, 85% are male and 15% are female.

ME majors at Virginia Tech take out an average of $22,460 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $399, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#7

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

With a ranking of #7, University of Florida did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a fairly large student population.

About 18% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 82% are male.

On average, ME graduates from UF take out $20,353 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $157.

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#8

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

The University of Alabama ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public college with a very large student population.

Of the 343 students majoring in ME at UA, 83% are male and 17% are female.

The average amount in student loans that ME majors at UA take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,683. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $439, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at The University of Alabama Report

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree mechanical engineering programs. UMCP is a very large public school located in the large suburb of College Park.

Women make up 17% of the ME majors at the school.

ME majors at UMCP take out an average of $20,732 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $280.

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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 22% of the ME majors at the school.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from U-M carry an average student debt load of $18,590. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $434.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#11

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX

Texas Tech University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public college with a very large student population.

Of the 305 students majoring in ME at Texas Tech, 89% are male and 11% are female.

On average, ME graduates from Texas Tech take out $26,941 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $268.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University Report

Colorado School of Mines did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the suburb of Golden, Mines is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Women make up 21% of the ME majors at the school.

When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $691.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines

With a ranking of #13, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 293 students majoring in ME at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 78% are male and 22% are female.

On average, ME graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out $19,650 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $418.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#14

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

With a ranking of #14, Clemson University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 288 students majoring in ME at Clemson, 83% are male and 17% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from Clemson carry an average student debt load of $22,590. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $382.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University

University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.

Women make up 20% of the ME majors at the school.

ME majors at UC Irvine take out an average of $15,915 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $304.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Irvine Report

North Carolina State University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

About 12% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 88% are male.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from NC State carry an average student debt load of $21,187. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $318, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#17

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

Oregon State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the small city of Corvallis, Oregon State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 281 students majoring in ME at Oregon State, 87% are male and 13% are female.

On average, ME graduates from Oregon State take out $24,561 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $465.

Read More…

#18

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Michigan State University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing.

About 19% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 81% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, ME majors at Michigan State accumulate an average of around $21,529 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $441.

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Washington State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public college with a fairly large student population.

About 12% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 88% are male.

On average, ME graduates from Wazzu take out $22,314 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $245, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University Report

#20

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY

University at Buffalo landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree mechanical engineering programs. University at Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo.

Women make up 11% of the ME majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that ME majors at University at Buffalo take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,169. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $280.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University at Buffalo

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Of the 274 students majoring in ME at UT Austin, 79% are male and 21% are female.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, ME majors at UT Austin accumulate an average of around $19,278 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $367.

Read More…

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 16% of the ME majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that ME majors at ASU - Tempe take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,314. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $252, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Michigan Technological University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Houghton.

About 13% of the students majoring in ME at the school are women while 87% are male.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $271.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the distant town of Stillwater, OSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 9% of the ME majors at the school.

ME majors at OSU take out an average of $23,745 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $225.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Report

#25

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

Auburn University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Auburn is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Auburn.

Of the 252 students majoring in ME at Auburn, 84% are male and 16% are female.

ME majors at Auburn take out an average of $23,161 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $483, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#27

University of Houston

Houston, TX
#27

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
#31

Kettering University

Flint, MI
#39

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA
#39

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 385 different United States mechanical engineering schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
52 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
53 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
54 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
55 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
56 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
57 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional popular schools for Mechanical Engineering students that almost earned our Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
58 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
59 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
60 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
61 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
62 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
63 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
64 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
65 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
66 University of Georgia Athens, GA
67 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
67 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
69 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
69 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
71 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
71 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
73 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
74 Florida International University Miami, FL
74 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
76 Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
76 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI

Mechanical Engineering by Region

View the Most Popular Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 40 majors within the area of study, mechanical engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Civil Engineering 21,388
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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