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Engineering: Mechanical Engineering Focus

Katie Schenk - November 23, 2017

Mechanical Engineering

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 Engineering
Tempe, Arizona
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 52
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,411
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
California Institute of Technology - School of Engineering and Applied Science
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
  • 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

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
University of California—​Berkeley - School of Engineering
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

University of California—​Davis - College of Engineering

Davis (Sacramento), California

  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 34
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 36
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,005
University of California—​Irvine - Henry Samueli School of Engineering
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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 22
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $56,934
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of California—​Santa Barbara - College of Engineering
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
  • 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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $60,387
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Texas—​Austin - Cockrell School of Engineering
Austin, Texas
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 11
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $37,274
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Washington - College of Engineering
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 University - College of Engineering
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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 11
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $68,915
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Columbia University - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 19
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 13
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,915
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - School of Engineering
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 University - Tandon School of Engineering
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
  • 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 University - School of Engineering and Applied Science
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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 34
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,719
University of Delaware - College of Engineering
Newark, Delaware
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 48
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 49
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,713
University of Maryland—​College Park - A. James Clark School of Engineering
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
  • 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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 57
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,435
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Rochester - Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
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


Duke University - Pratt School of Engineering

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
  • 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
Rice University - George R. Brown School of Engineering
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
University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
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
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 36
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $66,732
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes

Virginia Tech - College of Engineering

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 Engineering
Cleveland, Ohio
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 50
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $62,704
Iowa State University - College of Engineering
Ames, Iowa
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 42
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,658
Northwestern University - Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering
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

Purdue University - College of Engineering

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
University of Illinois—​Urbana-​Champaign - College of Engineering

Urbana, Illinois

  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 4
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $56,984
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Michigan—​Ann Arbor - College of Engineering
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
University of Minnesota—​Twin Cities - College of Science and Engineering
Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
  • USNWR mechanical department rank: 24
  • Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,006
  • Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
University of Notre Dame - College of Engineering
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
University of Wisconsin—​Madison - College of Engineering
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

Universities offering spring admissions

Quick view: Top mechanical engineering masters recruiters

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