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Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University

If you are interested in studying Mechanical Engineering, you may want to check out the program at Iowa State University. Get started with the following essential facts.

Iowa State University sits in Ames, IA.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 369 mechanical engineering degrees were awarded at Iowa State University.

Studying Online at Iowa State University

Online coursework is an option at Iowa State University. Of 30,380 students, 972 (3%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 17,472 (58%) took at least some classes online.

Earnings for Mechanical Engineering Graduates from Iowa State University

Graduates of Iowa State University’s Mechanical Engineering program earn the following amounts (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,842
2 years	$67,221
3 years	$74,553
4 years	$81,779
5 years	$91,203

Is this above or below average for the school? Four years out, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Iowa State University take home a median $81,779, compared with $64,577 for all Iowa State University graduates — about 27% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

The median debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates from Iowa State University is $23,500.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Below you’ll find the student demographics for Mechanical Engineering graduates at Iowa State University, by degree type.

Looking at the program as a whole, Mechanical Engineering graduates at Iowa State University are 14% women (50) and 86% men (319).

Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at Iowa State University

Among the 369 bachelor’s mechanical engineering degrees awarded at Iowa State University, 14% were women (50) and 86% were men (319).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Iowa State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	281
Hispanic / Latino	10
Black / African American	7
Asian	24
Two or More Races	8
International (Nonresident)	19
Unknown	20

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 13% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Iowa State University, lower than the national average of 34%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Mechanical Engineering Concentrations at Iowa State University

The Mechanical Engineering program at Iowa State University includes the following sub-specializations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering	369

Highest-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program at Iowa State University go on to a range of careers. The table below ranks the best-paid careers for Mechanical Engineering majors, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Fuel Cell Engineers	$137,020
Automotive Engineers	$107,733
Architectural and Engineering Managers	$101,277
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers	$89,263
Cost Estimators	$80,966
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	$79,889
Mechanical Engineers	$79,543
Aerospace Engineers	$63,328

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.