College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

54 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
7,978 ME Degrees Awarded
$71,318 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #21 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 54 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,978 degrees in mechanical engineering to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Mechanical Engineering School

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region The me program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering rankings. We derive our Best Overall Mechanical Engineering School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Mechanical Engineering Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in ME
Master's Degrees in ME
Doctor's Degrees in ME

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the me degree levels they offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in ME

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
462 ME Degrees Awarded
$84,186 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in mechanical engineering has to take a look at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were about 462 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get an earnings boost of about $12,868 over the average earnings of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 ME Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in mechanical engineering has to look into Northwestern University. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 142 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering major at Northwestern University get $6,297 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
582 ME Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Purdue University - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Purdue is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were approximately 582 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from Purdue University - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $10,983 above the average income of mechanical engineering majors.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 ME Degrees Awarded
$72,690 Median Starting Salary

University of Notre Dame is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 135 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. After graduation, me degree recipients generally make around $72,690 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Notre Dame

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
268 ME Degrees Awarded
2.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 268 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the me program earn about $70,199 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 ME Degrees Awarded
$78,224 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 300 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $6,905 more than the standard me student.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 ME Degrees Awarded
$72,316 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Terre Haute, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were roughly 134 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program report average early career earnings of $72,316.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 ME Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

Case Western is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.

There were approximately 125 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program report average early career wages of $67,335.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
429 ME Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Houghton, Michigan Tech is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #112 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Michigan Tech is a great university overall.

There were roughly 429 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Michigan Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from Michigan Technological University get an earnings boost of about $5,500 above the average income of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 ME Degrees Awarded
$71,321 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 308 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program state that they receive average early career income of $71,321.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University

Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best mechanical engineering schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 2,496
Ohio 314 2,106
Illinois 304 1,183
Indiana 294 1,329
Wisconsin 273 855

View All Rankings >

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Mechanical Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

ME Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering 7,978

View All ME Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 4,524
Computer Engineering 3,259
Civil Engineering 2,925
Chemical Engineering 2,284
Biomedical Engineering 1,932
Industrial Engineering 1,927
General Engineering 1,712
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 1,238
Materials Engineering 740
Other Engineering 536

View All ME Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options