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2024 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region

66 Colleges in the Southeast Region
9,524 ME Degrees Awarded
$65,486 Avg Early-Career Salary
Mechanical Engineering is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #21 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 66 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 9,524 degrees in mechanical engineering to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Mechanical Engineering School

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region The me program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering rankings. For our Best Overall Mechanical Engineering School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Mechanical Engineering Degree Level

Associate Degrees in ME
Bachelor's Degrees in ME
Master's Degrees in ME
Doctor's Degrees in ME

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 the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of me degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in ME

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
794 ME Degrees Awarded
$77,437 Median Starting Salary

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 794 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus make $11,950 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 ME Degrees Awarded
$71,314 Median Starting Salary

Duke University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 141 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from Duke University earn $5,828 more than the average me student.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University

3
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 ME Degrees Awarded
$69,605 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Vanderbilt University if you want to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 66 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering major at Vanderbilt University get $4,119 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
466 ME Degrees Awarded
$74,517 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Virginia Tech if you wish to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 466 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering degree program at Virginia Tech earn $9,031 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
597 ME Degrees Awarded
22.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were approximately 597 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from University of Florida receive an earnings boost of about $7,752 above the typical earnings of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Florida

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
402 ME Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 402 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering major at North Carolina State University get $12,076 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University

7
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
385 ME Degrees Awarded
23.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #107 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Clemson is a great university overall.

There were roughly 385 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Clemson in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the me program make an average of $66,398 for their early career.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University

8
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 ME Degrees Awarded
$67,127 Median Starting Salary

Auburn is a very large public university located in the city of Auburn. This university ranks 3rd out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were approximately 285 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Auburn in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program state that they receive average early career earnings of $67,127.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 ME Degrees Awarded
$67,222 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 190 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the me program earn an average of $67,222 for their early career.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 ME Degrees Awarded
$66,820 Median Starting Salary

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 64 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the me program earn an average of $66,820 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from University of Virginia - Main Campus

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Mechanical Engineering students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
11 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
12 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
13 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
14 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
15 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
16 Florida International University Miami, FL

Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best mechanical engineering schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,418
Florida 282 2,198
North Carolina 279 915
Virginia 274 947
Tennessee 269 603
South Carolina 248 715
Kentucky 244 391
Louisiana 242 453
Mississippi 234 309
Arkansas 234 280
Alabama 233 1,019
West Virginia 207 217

View All Rankings >

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Mechanical Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

ME Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering 9,524

View All ME Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 5,288
Civil Engineering 4,665
Computer Engineering 3,297
General Engineering 2,586
Biomedical Engineering 2,577
Chemical Engineering 2,548
Industrial Engineering 2,419
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 2,196
Systems Engineering 860
Materials Engineering 704

View All ME Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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