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2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

237 Ranked Colleges
7,218 Degrees Awarded
$83,900 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,218 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 237 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in mechanical engineering.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.

Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s”.

1

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 #1 for the Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 223 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Stanford University Mechanical Engineering Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech

4
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 148 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Full UF Mechanical Engineering Report

6

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 137 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Mechanical Engineering Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 130 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 UW Seattle

8

University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 masters’s 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 UCSD

9
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking. Johns Hopkins is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 128 masters’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

10
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Northeastern

11

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 120 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at ASU - Tempe

12

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 116 masters’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley

13
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 115 masters’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #14, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at USC

15

With a ranking of #15, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 112 degrees to qualified masters’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

16

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 110 masters’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

17

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 106 masters’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 94%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station

18

Stevens Institute of Technology came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hoboken, New Jersey, and it awarded 102 masters’s ME 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stevens Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Report

19

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 95 masters’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UT Arlington

19
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 95 masters’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%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University

21

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 90 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Mechanical Engineering Report

22
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 85 students 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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Clemson

23
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 80 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

24
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 76 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cornell

24
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 76 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full UPenn Mechanical Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 36 in Most Well Attended ME Major for a Master’s

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
28
30
31
32
33
34
35
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
36

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Notes and References

References

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