by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
Across the Southeast region, there were 9,524 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,486 and $24,571 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region” ranking, we looked at 78 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.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida Polytechnic University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Florida Poly is a public institution located in Lakeland, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 78 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico - Orlando landed the #2 spot on the list. Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico - Orlando is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico - Orlando
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Military Institute. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region. VMI is a public institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Virginia Military Institute Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school handed out 95 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 794 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
West Virginia University Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking. West Virginia University Institute of Technology is located in Beckley, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and it awarded 113 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Mechanical Engineering Report
Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 165 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University
With a ranking of #9, University of Alabama in Huntsville did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. UAH is a medium-sized public school situated in Huntsville, Alabama. It awarded 150 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Tuskegee University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Tuskegee, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Tuskegee University
Florida Institute of Technology ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Florida Tech is a medium-sized school located in Melbourne, Florida that handed out 112 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #12. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 385 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Alabama A & M University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Alabama A & M University is a medium-sized public school situated in Normal, Alabama. It awarded 41 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Alabama A & M University
With a ranking of #14, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 466 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
North Carolina A & T State University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 106 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Full North Carolina A & T State University Mechanical Engineering Report
Mississippi State University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and it awarded 216 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State University
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #17. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 402 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, The University of Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this large public school handed out 378 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of New Orleans landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 59 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #20, Auburn University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Auburn, Alabama, and it awarded 285 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University
Louisiana Tech University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Ruston, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University
Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #22. GaSou is a public institution located in Statesboro, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 200 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, this fairly large public school handed out 120 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
University of Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 597 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
With a ranking of #25, Kennesaw State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in the Southeast Region list. Kennesaw, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 237 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 our data sources and methodologies
