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Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering in South Carolina
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the mechanical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Mechanical Engineering
Our analysis ranked Clemson University the best school in the country for a degree in mechanical engineering. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Clemson. About 87% of students finish within six years. Clemson University awarded about 303 mechanical engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, mechanical engineering degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $76,932. Students borrow a median of $24,125 to complete this degree.
Read more about the mechanical engineering program at Clemson University
Students looking for a strong mechanical engineering program will find one at University Of South Carolina Columbia, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public institution. University Of South Carolina Columbia graduates 79% of students within six years. University Of South Carolina Columbia awarded about 159 mechanical engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, mechanical engineering degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Columbia generally make around $72,370. University Of South Carolina Columbia graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans.
Get the full mechanical engineering details for University Of South Carolina Columbia
Citadel Military College Of South Carolina came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best mechanical engineering schools. Located in the city of Charleston, Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a mid-sized public university. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 69 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Citadel Military College Of South Carolina in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, mechanical engineering degree recipients from Citadel Military College Of South Carolina generally make around $52,602. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete this degree.
Read more about the mechanical engineering program at Citadel Military College Of South Carolina
Francis Marion University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best mechanical engineering schools. Francis Marion University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Florence. Roughly 43% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 14 mechanical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Francis Marion University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the mechanical engineering program make about $41,456 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $30,577.
Get the full mechanical engineering details for Francis Marion University
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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