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Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University-Main Campus

If you plan to study Mechanical Engineering, consider the program at Purdue University-Main Campus. The following information will help you decide if it is a good fit for you.

Purdue University-Main Campus is in West Lafayette, IN.

During the most recent reporting year, 819 mechanical engineering degrees were awarded at Purdue University-Main Campus.

Online & Distance Learning at Purdue University-Main Campus

Distance learning is available at Purdue University-Main Campus. Among 58,658 students, 4,902 (8%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 16,751 (29%) took at least some classes online.

Mechanical Engineering Rankings at Purdue University-Main Campus

Rankings can help you compare Purdue University-Main Campus’s Mechanical Engineering program against other schools offering the same major.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Indiana	#2 of 10
Best Value	Indiana	#3 of 10
Best Schools (Quality)	Great Lakes (Region)	#5 of 59
Best Value	Great Lakes (Region)	#5 of 59
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#15 of 365
Best Value	Nationwide	#59 of 364

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Indiana	#2 of 10
Best Value	Indiana	#3 of 10
Best Schools (Quality)	Great Lakes (Region)	#5 of 59
Best Value	Great Lakes (Region)	#5 of 59
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#15 of 365
Best Value	Nationwide	#59 of 364

Earnings for Mechanical Engineering Graduates from Purdue University-Main Campus

Students who complete Purdue University-Main Campus’s Mechanical Engineering program earn at the following median levels (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$78,796
2 years	$77,656
3 years	$86,164
4 years	$93,533
5 years	$101,178

How do these earnings stack up against the rest of the school? Four years after graduating, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Purdue University-Main Campus earn a median of $93,533, compared with $79,539 for all Purdue University-Main Campus graduates — about 18% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

The median debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates from Purdue University-Main Campus stands at $19,937.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Below you’ll find the composition of Mechanical Engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus, broken down by degree level.

Program-wide, Mechanical Engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus are 18% women (145) and 82% men (674).

Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at Purdue University-Main Campus

Among the 510 bachelor’s mechanical engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus, 18% were women (90) and 82% were men (420).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	290
Hispanic / Latino	25
Black / African American	7
Asian	70
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1
Two or More Races	21
International (Nonresident)	82
Unknown	14

Minority students account for 24% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus, below the national average of 34%.*

Mechanical Engineering Master’s Program at Purdue University-Main Campus

Among the 218 master’s mechanical engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus, 17% were women (38) and 83% were men (180).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	110
Hispanic / Latino	13
Black / African American	5
Asian	19
Two or More Races	6
International (Nonresident)	63
Unknown	2

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 20% of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus, lower than the national average of 23%.*

Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Program at Purdue University-Main Campus

Among the 91 doctoral mechanical engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus, 19% were women (17) and 81% were men (74).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	19
Hispanic / Latino	2
Black / African American	2
Asian	2
International (Nonresident)	63
Unknown	3

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 7% of Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus, lower than the national average of 13%.*

*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 Purdue University-Main Campus

This Mechanical Engineering program at Purdue University-Main Campus offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering	819

Highest-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program at Purdue University-Main Campus go on to a range of careers. Here are the highest-paying careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates, 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.