by our College Data Analytics Team
[Me Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a me mechanical engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the early-career earnings of their me mechanical engineering graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send me mechanical engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid me mechanical engineering graduates in Virginia. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public institution. Me Mechanical Engineering graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of about $100,680 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in me mechanical engineering will find them at University Of Virginia Main Campus, which ranked #2. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Early-career me mechanical engineering graduates from University Of Virginia Main Campus make a median of around $91,262 per year.
Old Dominion University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying me mechanical engineering schools. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Students who complete the me mechanical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $91,945.
Strong graduate earnings at Virginia Commonwealth University earned it the #4 place for me mechanical engineering. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school located in the city of Richmond. After graduating, me mechanical engineering degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University typically earn about $87,500 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in me mechanical engineering will find them at George Mason University, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a public institution. After graduating, me mechanical engineering degree recipients from George Mason University typically earn about $73,570 annually.
Liberty University came in at #6 for me mechanical engineering graduate earnings this year. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Early-career me mechanical engineering graduates from Liberty University make a median of around $65,794 per year.
Virginia Military Institute placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for me mechanical engineering. Located in the town of Lexington, Virginia Military Institute is a public institution. Early-career me mechanical engineering graduates from Virginia Military Institute make a median of around $83,811 per year.
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.