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2024 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

34 Colleges in the Southwest Region
5,420 ME Degrees Awarded
$67,438 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #21 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 34 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,420 degrees in mechanical engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Mechanical Engineering School

Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest 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. We derive our Best Overall Mechanical Engineering School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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 Southwest Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering in the Southwest Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the me degree levels they offer.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in ME

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
359 ME Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in mechanical engineering needs to look into The University of Texas at Austin. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were roughly 359 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin make $13,475 more than the average me graduate.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin

2
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 ME Degrees Awarded
22.1% Growth in Graduates

Rice University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were approximately 77 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from Rice University make $2,962 more than the standard me graduate.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
538 ME Degrees Awarded
$76,402 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in mechanical engineering has to look into Texas A&M University - College Station. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were approximately 538 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station earn a boost of around $8,963 above the average earnings of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University - College Station

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
342 ME Degrees Awarded
$70,609 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Texas Tech University if you want to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Texas Tech is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #168 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were about 342 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mechanical engineering program at Texas Tech University make $3,171 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 ME Degrees Awarded
$68,406 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 89 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year. After graduation, me degree recipients typically make around $68,406 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
413 ME Degrees Awarded
0.5% Growth in Graduates

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 413 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year. Mechanical Engineering degree recipients from Arizona State University - Tempe earn a boost of around $6,702 over the average income of mechanical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University - Tempe

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
286 ME Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Houston, UH is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #211 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UH is a great university overall.

There were about 286 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent data year. Those mechanical engineering students who get their degree from University of Houston receive $11,809 more than the standard me student.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
287 ME Degrees Awarded
$63,076 Median Starting Salary

OSU is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Stillwater. A Best Colleges rank of #227 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means OSU is a great university overall.

There were about 287 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, me degree recipients usually make around $63,076 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 ME Degrees Awarded
$65,774 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #133 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Arizona is a great university overall.

There were about 137 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program report average early career income of $65,774.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
293 ME Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #216 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Dallas is a great university overall.

There were approximately 293 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Dallas in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the me program report average early career wages of $60,816.

More information about a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Dallas

Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 3,777
Arizona 287 804
Oklahoma 257 521
New Mexico 219 280

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 5,420

View All ME Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 3,662
Civil Engineering 2,298
General Engineering 1,837
Computer Engineering 1,801
Chemical Engineering 1,506
Industrial Engineering 1,352
Biomedical Engineering 1,324
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 1,000
Petroleum Engineering 629
Materials Engineering 324

View All ME Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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