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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

222 Ranked Colleges
7,458 Degrees Awarded
$42,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value ME Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,495 and had an average of $23,104 in loans still to pay off.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,458 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 222 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent mechanical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The me school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 130 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

MIT also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at MIT

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 163 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Full Stanford University Mechanical Engineering Report

#3

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 12 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Princeton University Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #4 spot on the list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Duke has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140.

Full Duke Mechanical Engineering Report

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern

#6

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Johns Hopkins also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

#7

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#25 in overall quality

Rice University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Rice

#8

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 53 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at WUSTL

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 146 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Columbia

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
Top 15% in overall quality

Vanderbilt University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University

#11

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 70 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cornell has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Cornell University Mechanical Engineering Report

#12

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#16 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Report

#13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

With a ranking of #13, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 150 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full U-M Mechanical Engineering Report

#14

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 121 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 111 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW Seattle Mechanical Engineering Report

#16

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 102 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Florida

#17

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 53 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Pennsylvania

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#19

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 148 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#20

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 99 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #21, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 70 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#22

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Notre Dame

Michigan Technological University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Michigan Tech is also in the top of our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech

With a ranking of #24, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 226 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Tech are $31,334.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#25

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UCF are $28,657, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UCF Mechanical Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#30

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#33

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

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Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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