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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major

151 Ranked Colleges
1,634 Degrees Awarded
$103,564 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,634 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major” ranking, we looked at 151 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. That schools that top this list have a program in mechanical engineering in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major”.

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Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

1

Out of the 151 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 45 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at MIT

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 151 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 49 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford Mechanical Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major. Georgia Tech is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 61 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major list. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Michigan Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

6

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a small school located in Socorro, New Mexico that handed out 2 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full New Mexico Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

7

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Troy, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at RPI

8
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 69 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Purdue

9
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 29 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon

10

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 12 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

11

Lawrence Technological University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Lawrence Technological University is a small school located in Southfield, Michigan that handed out 3 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lawrence Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

12
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major list. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 9 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Princeton

13
Clarkson crest
Clarkson University
Potsdam, New York

Clarkson University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major list. Clarkson is located in Potsdam, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Clarkson University Mechanical Engineering Report

14

University of California - Merced ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced

15

Stevens Institute of Technology landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hoboken, New Jersey, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stevens Mechanical Engineering Report

16

University of Alabama in Huntsville did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Alabama in Huntsville is a medium-sized school located in Huntsville, Alabama that handed out 8 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Alabama in Huntsville

17

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

18
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame

19
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech

20
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Located in Golden, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Mines Mechanical Engineering Report

21
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major list. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 7 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Rice

22
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #22. North Carolina A & T State University is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full North Carolina A & T State University Mechanical Engineering Report

23
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #23. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 17 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Duke

24
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Lehigh

25

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on ME Major ranking, coming in at #25. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 34 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Report

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