by our College Data Analytics Team
[Me Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find where me mechanical engineering graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose me mechanical engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Ohio State University Main Campus the top school for me mechanical engineering graduate earnings in Ohio. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career me mechanical engineering graduates from Ohio State University Main Campus make a median of around $113,806 per year.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Cincinnati Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for me mechanical engineering. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career me mechanical engineering graduates from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus make a median of around $114,633 per year.
Wright State University Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying me mechanical engineering schools. Wright State University Main Campus is a public school located in the suburb of Dayton. Me Mechanical Engineering graduates of Wright State University Main Campus earn a median of about $80,255 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes Cleveland State University one of the highest-paying schools for me mechanical engineering. Cleveland State University is a public school located in the city of Cleveland. Me Mechanical Engineering graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median of about $70,429 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries me mechanical engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.