Engineering: Mechanical Engineering Focus
Katie Schenk - November 23, 2017
There’s good news for those wishing to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering (either MS or ME) in the United States. The sector is set to grow at least nine percent between 2016 and 2026. While that is on par with the rest of the economy, it’s on the higher side.
According to PayScale.com, MS and ME degree holders had the potential for wide ranging salaries in 2016, depending on their positions (and, of course pre-study experience).
- Project Engineer: $48,888-$94,064
- Mechanical Design Engineer: $49,242-$86,733
- Mechanical Engineer: $50,160-$93,233
- Product Engineer: $50,958-$96,113
- Senior Mechanical Engineer: $70,818-$122,604
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put the 2016 median pay (across degrees) at $84,190 per year, with a mean annual salary of $89,800.
The industries with the highest salaries, according to the BLS, are:
- Oil and Gas Extraction: $131,900
- Software Publishers: $120,650
- Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance: $116,440
- Waste Treatment and Disposal: $112,310
- Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil: $111,600
In case you’re wondering as you browse the employers that recruit MS and ME mechanical engineers on university campuses, the states employing the highest numbers of mechanical engineers are Michigan, California, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. That might help you determine the best programme for your studies.
Quick view: Top US mechanical engineering programmes
Universities: US West
Arizona State University - Ira A. Fulton Schools of EngineeringTempe, Arizona
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 52
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,411
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Pasadena (Los Angeles), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 4
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 4
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $78,786
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Stanford University - Stanford School of Engineering
Stanford (San Francisco), California
Stanford (San Francisco), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 2
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 1
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $84,726
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Texas A&M University - Dwight Look College of Engineering
Berkeley (San Francisco), California
Irvine (Los Angeles), California
Boston University - College of Engineering
Boston, Massachusetts
Houston, Texas
Charlottesville, Virginia
Cleveland, Ohio
Ames, Iowa
Evanston (Chicago), Illinois
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Notre Dame, Indiana
Madison, Wisconsin
College Station, Texas
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,959
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Berkeley (San Francisco), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 3
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 3
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $61,102
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Davis (Sacramento), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 34
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 36
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,005
Irvine (Los Angeles), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 37
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 36
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,837
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Los Angeles, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 16
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $59,302
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of California—San Diego - Jacobs School of Engineering
San Diego, California
Santa Barbara, California
San Diego, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 22
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $56,934
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Santa Barbara, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 19
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $54,450
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Colorado—Boulder - College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 32
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 36
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,932
University of Southern California - Viterbi School of Engineering
Los Angeles, California
Austin, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Los Angeles, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $60,387
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Austin, Texas
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 11
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $37,274
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Seattle, Washington
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 25
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 34
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,321
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities: US Northeast
Boston, Massachusetts
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 34
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,861
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Carnegie Mellon University - College of Engineering
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
New York, New York
Princeton, New Jersey
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 11
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $68,915
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
New York, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $79,890
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Ithaca, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 8
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,280
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Johns Hopkins University - Whiting School of Engineering
Baltimore, Maryland
Cambridge (Boston), Massachusetts
New York, New York
Baltimore, Maryland
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 19
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 13
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,915
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Cambridge (Boston), Massachusetts
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 1
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 1
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $82,750
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
New York, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 65
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $58,491
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Northeastern University - College of Engineering
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 39
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $42,666
University Park, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 32
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 15
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,000
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Princeton, New Jersey
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 17
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 30
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $74,190
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - School of Engineering
Troy, New York
Newark, Delaware
College Park (Washington DC), Maryland
Troy, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 34
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,719
Newark, Delaware
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 48
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 49
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,713
College Park (Washington DC), Maryland
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 24
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,054
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Pennsylvania - School of Engineering and Applied Science
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 19
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,240
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Pittsburgh - Swanson School of Engineering
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rochester, New York
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 57
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,435
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Rochester, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 85
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,108
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities: US South
Durham, North Carolina
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 29
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 31
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $75,382
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Engineering
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 7
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 6
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $58,248
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Raleigh, North Carolina
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 25
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,510
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Houston, Texas
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 29
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 31
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $65,763
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Gainesville, Florida
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,284
Charlottesville, Virginia
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,901
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Vanderbilt University - School of Engineering
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 36
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $66,732
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Blacksburg, Virginia
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 22
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,220
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities: US Midwest
Case Western Reserve University - Case School of EngineeringCleveland, Ohio
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 50
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $62,704
Ames, Iowa
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,658
Evanston (Chicago), Illinois
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 19
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 14
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $73,014
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Columbus, Ohio
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 31
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $52,196
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
West Lafayette, Indiana
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 8
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 8
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,118
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Urbana, Illinois
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 4
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $56,984
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Ann Arbor, Michigan
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 6
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $68,144
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Minneapolis, Minnesota
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,006
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Notre Dame, Indiana
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 48
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 39
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $71,856
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Madison, Wisconsin
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 18
- USNWR mechanical department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,369
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities offering ME degrees
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - School of Engineering
University of Florida - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Universities offering spring admissions
- Arizona State University - Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
- Boston University - College of Engineering
- Carnegie Mellon University - College of Engineering
- Case Western Reserve University - Case School of Engineering
- Columbia University - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Cornell University - College of Engineering
- Duke University - Pratt School of Engineering
- Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Engineering
- Iowa State University - College of Engineering
- New York University - Tandon School of Engineering
- North Carolina State University - College of Engineering
- Ohio State University - College of Engineering
- Pennsylvania State University—University Park - College of Engineering
- Purdue University - College of Engineering
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - School of Engineering
- Rice University - George R. Brown School of Engineering
- Stanford University - Stanford School of Engineering
- University of Colorado—Boulder - College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- University of Delaware - College of Engineering
- University of Florida - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
- University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign - College of Engineering
- University of Maryland—College Park - A. James Clark School of Engineering
- University of Notre Dame - College of Engineering
- University of Pittsburgh - Swanson School of Engineering
- University of Southern California - Viterbi School of Engineering
- University of Texas—Austin - Cockrell School of Engineering
- University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- University of Wisconsin—Madison - College of Engineering
- Virginia Tech - College of Engineering
Quick view: Top mechanical engineering masters recruiters
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