by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 62 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for mechanical engineering students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,992 bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of mechanical engineering for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for 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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Georgia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Atlanta.
Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus receive $9,239 more than the standard me grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
It's hard to beat Virginia Tech if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Virginia Tech get an earnings boost of about $8,657 over the average earnings of mechanical engineering graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech
Duke University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham.
Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Duke University earn $20,315 more than the typical me student.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Duke University
University of Florida is a great option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. UF is a fairly large public university located in the city of Gainesville.
Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Florida make $6,605 more than the typical me grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Florida
Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn is a public university with a very large student population.
Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Auburn University receive $4,382 more than the typical me student.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Auburn University
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public university with a very large student population.
Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Clemson University make $3,597 more than the average me student.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Clemson University
Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the me program make about $69,078 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University
Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the mechanical engineering major at Vanderbilt University make $8,386 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University
Located in the midsize city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public university with a very large student population.
Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from The University of Alabama receive an earnings boost of approximately $5,615 above the average income of mechanical engineering majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from The University of Alabama
UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Knoxville.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the me program state that they receive average early career income of $65,756.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those mechanical engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of South Carolina - Columbia receive $2,747 more than the standard me student.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of South Carolina - Columbia
Located in the suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the me program make an average of $66,298 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Central FloridaHere are some additional great schools for Mechanical Engineering students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
| 14 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 15 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 16 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 17 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 18 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 19 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi State, MS |
| 20 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
Explore the best mechanical engineering colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 225 | 1,787 |
| Georgia | 224 | 1,106 |
| Tennessee | 220 | 538 |
| North Carolina | 213 | 703 |
| Virginia | 213 | 857 |
| South Carolina | 195 | 586 |
| Kentucky | 187 | 330 |
| Alabama | 184 | 922 |
| Louisiana | 171 | 441 |
| Mississippi | 169 | 280 |
| Arkansas | 167 | 274 |
| West Virginia | 147 | 192 |
Mechanical Engineering is one of 41 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Mechanical Engineering | 6,992 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | 3,350 |
| Electrical Engineering | 2,927 |
| Computer Engineering | 2,537 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 2,056 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 1,925 |
| Chemical Engineering | 1,813 |
| Industrial Engineering | 1,686 |
| General Engineering | 801 |
| Environmental Engineering | 357 |
| Materials Engineering | 310 |
