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Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University

If you plan to study Mechanical Engineering, you may want to check out the program at Northern Illinois University. We’ve gathered the following information to help you decide.

Northern Illinois University sits in Dekalb, IL.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 137 mechanical engineering graduations were recorded at Northern Illinois University.

Online & Distance Learning at Northern Illinois University

Distance learning is available at Northern Illinois University. Among 15,414 students, 2,197 (14%) studied exclusively online and 7,937 (51%) took at least some classes online.

Mechanical Engineering Rankings at Northern Illinois University

Use these rankings to compare Northern Illinois University’s Mechanical Engineering program against peer institutions.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Value	Illinois	#3 of 10
Best Schools (Quality)	Illinois	#7 of 10
Best Value	Great Lakes (Region)	#14 of 59
Best Schools (Quality)	Great Lakes (Region)	#36 of 59
Best Value	Nationwide	#92 of 364
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#217 of 365

Earnings for Mechanical Engineering Graduates from Northern Illinois University

Students who complete Northern Illinois 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	$68,101
2 years	$67,135
3 years	$74,168
4 years	$79,434
5 years	$88,705

How does this compare to the school overall? Four years after graduating, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Northern Illinois University earn a median of $79,434, compared with $63,103 for all Northern Illinois University graduates — about 26% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Typical debt at graduation for Mechanical Engineering graduates from Northern Illinois University is $25,000.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Below you’ll find the diversity of Mechanical Engineering graduates at Northern Illinois University, by degree type.

Looking at the program as a whole, Mechanical Engineering graduates at Northern Illinois University are 12% women (16) and 88% men (121).

Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at Northern Illinois University

Of the 119 bachelor’s mechanical engineering degrees awarded at Northern Illinois University, 12% were women (14) and 88% were men (105).

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

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	83
Hispanic / Latino	18
Black / African American	5
Asian	7
Two or More Races	3
International (Nonresident)	3

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 28% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Northern Illinois University, below the national average of 34%.*

Mechanical Engineering Master’s Program at Northern Illinois University

Among the 18 master’s mechanical engineering graduates at Northern Illinois University, 11% were women (2) and 89% were men (16).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Northern Illinois University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	10
Hispanic / Latino	3
Black / African American	1
Asian	2
International (Nonresident)	2

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 33% of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Northern Illinois University, above the national average of 23%.*

*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 Northern Illinois University

The Mechanical Engineering program at Northern Illinois University breaks down into more specific concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering	137

Top-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Those who complete Mechanical Engineering program at Northern Illinois University work across a variety of fields. Here are the top-paying 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.