by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 17 U.S. colleges awarded 126 degrees and certificates in Engineering Mechanics. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 49% of graduates. College Factual ranks 4 schools in its 2027 Best Engineering Mechanics Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $76,585 one year after completing, rising to $95,096 after four years.
Do you love learning how things work? A major in Engineering Mechanics will prepare you for a career where you can design, analyze and build structures and machines. Students will study physics to apply Newton's laws of motion to real-life scenarios. You will know the effects of forces and torques on particles and rigid bodies and use these concepts to analyze safety, stability, and design. Through your studies you will learn the mechanics of motion and the strength of different materials. With this degree you will be able to research, design, develop, test, and manufacture different products.
In this major you will take advanced mathematics courses like calculus and statistics courses along with basic computer courses. You will also take courses in physics, thermodynamics, kinetics, chemistry, quantum mechanics, and fluid mechanics.
There are very limited number of schools who offer this major, so if this interests you make sure the schools you look at will allow you to graduate with a degree in engineering mechanics.
A major in Engineering Mechanics covers Engineering Mechanics.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., engineering mechanics is a popular field of study, with 126 degrees awarded annually. 17 colleges award engineering mechanics degrees, an average of 7 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 41.
By level, the 126 awards include 1 associate degrees, 62 bachelor’s degrees, 47 master’s degrees and 16 doctorates.
Women earned 13% of engineering mechanics degrees and certificates in the latest year (16 of 126). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (56) and Asian (16), and international students earned 33.
College Factual ranks 4 schools in its 2027 Best Engineering Mechanics Schools ranking, including 2 for bachelor’s degrees and 2 for master’s degrees. It also ranks engineering mechanics schools within 3 states. In all, 17 colleges offer engineering mechanics programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Engineering Mechanics Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common engineering mechanics credential is the bachelor’s degree: 62 of the 126 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to engineering mechanics call most for Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking and Speaking, and for knowledge of Engineering and Technology, Mathematics and Design, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Written Comprehension, Oral Expression and Oral Comprehension.
This is not an easy major. You should be ready to spend long hours in the lab working. Dedicating many hours to finding more efficient methods of solving problems should be something that excites you. Making things work better, more efficiently, quickly and less expensively will be part of your job.
As an engineering mechanic student, you will be asked to work hard in order to get background in engineering and then you will apply your knowledge in the real-world. You will learn how to apply methods and formulas to actual experiences. Many schools will require an internship or a co-op program so that you are able to get hands-on experience in this field. A co-op program is alternating semester of work and school. This is so that you can prepare yourself for a professional career.
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How long an engineering mechanics degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 1 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 62 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 47 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 16 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to engineering mechanics, at 34.0%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 34.0% |
| Doctoral degree | 27.0% |
| Master’s degree | 13.0% |
| Post-doctoral training | 7.0% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 6.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.4% |
| Some college courses | 1.6% |
| First professional degree | 1.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.6% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
15 occupations are related to Engineering Mechanics, with an average median salary of $95,614; the strongest outlook belongs to Solar Energy Systems Engineers, at 14.5% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Engineer, Aeronautical Engineering Teacher, Mechanical Engineering Lecturer and Engineering Lecturer.
With a degree in engineering mechanics, you can go into many different areas. Depending on your interests you may work in transportation, power generation, energy conversion, environmental control, or biomechanics and you will be prepared to work in a number of functional areas. This is degree is applicable to wide range of needs and is one of the broadest engineering disciplines.
The occupation related to engineering mechanics with the most projected jobs is Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,297,204.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,297,204 | -2.0% |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 440,884 | 8.0% |
| Nanosystems Engineers | 358,781 | -2.9% |
| Wind Energy Engineers | 353,305 | 12.7% |
| Engineers, All Other | 292,948 | -4.3% |
| Automotive Engineers | 266,832 | 6.0% |
| Solar Energy Systems Engineers | 266,797 | 14.5% |
| Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar | 227,778 | 6.7% |
Engineering Mechanics graduates earn a median $76,585 one year after completing their program, $95,096 after four years and $95,412 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $76,585 |
| 4 years | $95,096 |
| 5 years | $95,412 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to engineering mechanics is Fuel Cell Engineers, with a median salary of $137,020.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Fuel Cell Engineers | $137,020 |
| Engineers, All Other | $136,628 |
| Solar Energy Systems Engineers | $116,775 |
| Mechatronics Engineers | $115,569 |
| Automotive Engineers | $107,733 |
| Microsystems Engineers | $104,558 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $101,277 |
| Wind Energy Engineers | $98,460 |
Engineering Mechanics includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Engineering Mechanics (126). It has 40 similar majors in the Engineering field, which together award 202,909 degrees a year; the largest are Mechanical Engineering (43,874), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (27,513) and Computer Engineering (21,335). Browse all Engineering majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering Mechanics | 126 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 43,874 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 27,513 |
| Computer Engineering | 21,335 |
| Civil Engineering | 19,856 |
| Engineering, General | 14,789 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 14,592 |
| Chemical Engineering | 10,559 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 10,170 |
| Industrial Engineering | 8,023 |
| Systems Engineering | 4,489 |
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