25 Best Masters in Mechanical Engineering Degree Programs in 2024

Located in Kennesaw, Georgia, Kennesaw State University is a graduate school that offers over 40 programs, including one in mechanical engineering. This 30-credit master’s program is geared towards working professionals who want to further their education but may not have the time to take classes on campus. This is done through their extensive distance learning courses, allowing students to earn a living and further their career all at the same time.

The Graduate program in the Mechanical Engineering Department at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology has been ranked as one of the nation’s top STEM schools. This program offers PhD, MS, and ME degrees in specializations of Explosives Engineering, Fluid & Thermal Sciences, Mechatronics and Robotics, Solid Mechanics, and allows students to solve some real-world problems with funded projects that have been sponsored by government agencies, industries, and national laboratories. Scholarship and networking opportunities are abundant at this highly ranked school.

The Master’s of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University has worked with some of the nation’s biggest names in engineering, including the one and only NASA. This university teaches students from across the globe every year, making campus life a very inclusive and diverse one.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1, the University of New Mexico has small class sizes that will allow students to get the attention and help they need from the professors and staff. This school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has a wide range of student organizations available on campus to give students a more hands-on approach to mechanical engineering, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Formula Society of Automotive Engineers, and Society of Women Engineers.

The Missouri University of Science and Technology is ranked as the 15th Smartest Public College in the United States and offers a comprehensive graduate program. In this program, students will be able to conduct thorough research in the laboratories and centers that can be found on campus. Fellowships are available to selected students that could grant future mechanical engineers up to $45,000.

The Mechanical Engineering Department at Mississippi State University is the third-largest program in the entire university and is well-known for its excellence in engineering education, research, scholarships, service, and outreach, both at a national and international level. Mechanical engineering students are given the option of either a non-thesis program that requires 24 credits or a thesis program that requires 30 credits to graduate.

Located in Lubbock, Texas, Texas Tech University is a large university with a rich history. This school was founded in 1923 due to legislative action and has grown to be one of the largest universities in the western two-thirds of Texas. Since it first opened its doors, Texas Tech University has been educating professionals in a wide range of industries, including mechanical engineering.

Since 1883, the University of North Dakota has been putting Grand Forks, North Dakota on the map as one of the largest universities in the midwest. It has an average class size of 24 and has grown by 38% over the past 3 years. UND offers a combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program that will allow mechanical engineering students the opportunity to finish both degrees in 5-6 years.

Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and has over 70 online and in-person graduate programs to choose from. Their mechanical engineering master’s program is completely online but will require a trip to the midsized campus to take an oral exam as the student reaches the finish line of their degree.

Among some of the many awards, this Orlando-based college has received include being one of the top 50 public graduate engineering colleges in the nation, having one of the top 15 online programs in the country, and being named one of the nation’s “Most Innovative” universities. The University of Central Florida has received millions of dollars in grant money to ensure the engineering students can participate in research and real-world projects that could help their community.

You can find, accelerated, online, and in-person mechanical engineering graduate programs at Michigan Technology University, providing education that meets the unique needs of all students. A long list of engineering specialties is available to study, including design and dynamic systems, energy and thermo-fluids, solid mechanics, and manufacturing and industrial areas of interest.

For over 175 years, the University of Alabama has been offering mechanical engineering education. This midsize college can be found in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and has small class sizes, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1. There are over 300 faculty and staff members available to help the students become successful once they graduate.

The large campus of Texas A&M University houses over 69,000 students in the Dallas area for a variety of majors and certificates. The acceptance rate for this public university is somewhat more competitive than many of the other colleges on our list with an acceptance rate of 68%. Texas A&M University was ranked #17 of 676 for Top Public Universities in America.

The beautiful, historical Auburn University opened its doors more than 160 years ago and continues to get praised by critics and students alike, including being ranked as a “Best Value College” by Forbes. Several fellowship and assistantships are available to help with the cost of tuition.

What began as a land-grant university for agriculture and engineering transformed into a leading public research university. North Carolina State University has a thesis and non-thesis master’s program available in mechanical engineering and was ranked by College Choice as one of the Best Mechanical Engineering Degrees.

The University of Texas at Arlington was founded in 1895 and is located in the beautiful Dallas-Fort Worth area. This large university prides themselves in preparing their students for the workforce the moment they graduate and have succeeded at being the institution that graduated two astronauts and numerous executives at Fortune 500 companies.

The small campus of Lehigh University can be found in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Students will get the opportunity to work with faculty and industry professionals from other countries for a more comprehensive education. Its Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering requires 30 credits to graduate and will allow students to research and solve engineering programs with faculty and scholars.

ABOUT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

As one of the nation’s top public research universities, Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a land-grant institution, with enrollment of more than 33,000 students. CSU offers 76 undergraduate degree programs, 114 graduate degree programs, 21 professional master’s degree programs, and a Professional Veterinary Medicine program. CSU’s world-class research and scholarship attract more than $400 million in research funding annually, putting the university among top federally funded public universities without a medical school. Colorado’s Front Range is a high-tech hub with companies such as Woodward, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, IBM, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Broadcomm, AMD, Xilinx, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman located in or near Fort Collins.

ABOUT CSU’S DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at CSU offers a curriculum that integrates exceptional classroom learning and in-depth engineering practice for an unparalleled educational experience. Made up of 42 faculty members, 12 staff members, 1,000 undergraduate students, and 125 graduate students, ME is one of the largest departments and most popular majors on CSU’s campus. State-of-the-art labs provide unmatched, hands-on experience to help undergraduate students conceptualize industry environments. About $7.5M in annual research funding provides groundbreaking opportunities focusing on health, materials, and energy for graduate students to enhance their educational concentrations. Award-winning faculty offer industry and academic perspective and equip each graduate with the tools needed to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. For more information about the department, go to www.engr.colostate.edu/me.

It is like a vacation year-round when on the campus of the University of Arizona because of its warm, sunny climate. This institution has a rich Native American heritage and provides both an online and in-person education for its mechanical engineering students. While the campus does offer a world-class education, they are slightly selective in the students they accept, requiring at least a GPA of 3.25 and GRE scores that are in the top 25th percentile.

With 15,000 employers recruiting students for their companies, finding employment after graduation at the University of Pittsburgh she not be a problem. Although this is a large institution, class sizes remain small with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1. The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science has state-of-the-art laboratories ready to use as a way to provide research opportunities for students. Professional, or non-thesis, and research tracks are available.

Ranked as number 32 for Top Public U.S. Universities, Michigan State University has grown a reputation of being an inclusive and intercultural campus. The online Master of Science degree in Mechanical Science will receive the support of a research team and a faculty advisor to ensure the students’ professional goals are being met. There are two tracks available for students to pursue, including Thermal Fluids Science and Engineering and Mechanics, Dynamics, and Manufacturing.

The University of Washington hasn’t only received recognition as being an excellent institution in the U.S. but was also ranked as number 14 in the world on the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2018. The master’s program is available to all students who have completed courses in math, physics, natural science, and engineering fundamentals. This program is available both in-person and online.

Founded in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned 29 Pulitzer Prizes and a ranking of number 14 for Top Public University. Students travel from all over the globe to attend this institution because of its reputation of being a world-leader in education. The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign has over 50,000 students, but still keeps class sizes small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1.

Located in the bustling city of Atlanta, Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology is a leading research university in the United States, as well as a top-ranked public college. This college has one of the largest mechanical engineering programs in the country, giving students the research and real-world experience they need to become successful mechanical engineers. A study abroad program is also available for additional educational opportunities, which is something over half of the students in this program participate in.

Pennsylvania State University provides online education to more than 20,000 students nationally and internationally. This institution was first established in 1998 and provide highly-ranked education without requiring students to attend courses on campus. This 32-credit program was recognized by U.S. News as being the Best Online Program in 2020. Some of the topics you can expect to learn about are the principles of turbomachinery, automatic control systems, and the foundation of fluid mechanics.