---

Mechanical Engineering at University of California-San Diego

What traits are you looking for in a school for Mechanical Engineering, take a look at what University of California-San Diego. The following information will help you decide if it is a good fit for you.

University of California-San Diego is in La Jolla, CA.

During the most recent reporting year, 278 mechanical engineering degrees were granted at University of California-San Diego.

Online Class Availability at University of California-San Diego

Online coursework is an option at University of California-San Diego. Among 44,256 students, 236 (1%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 7,655 (17%) took at least some classes online.

Mechanical Engineering Rankings at University of California-San Diego

These rankings give you a sense of how University of California-San Diego’s Mechanical Engineering program to other colleges that offer this major.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	California	#7 of 29
Best Schools (Quality)	Far Western (Region)	#7 of 55
Best Value	California	#7 of 29
Best Value	Far Western (Region)	#14 of 55
Best Value	Nationwide	#17 of 364
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#23 of 365

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	California	#7 of 29
Best Schools (Quality)	Far Western (Region)	#7 of 55
Best Value	California	#7 of 29
Best Value	Far Western (Region)	#14 of 55
Best Value	Nationwide	#17 of 364
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#23 of 365

Earnings for Mechanical Engineering Graduates from University of California-San Diego

Those who finish University of California-San Diego’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	$70,392
2 years	$67,846
3 years	$77,452
4 years	$94,289
5 years	$99,554

How does this compare to the school overall? Four years after graduating, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of California-San Diego earn a median of $94,289, compared with $84,922 for all University of California-San Diego graduates — about 11% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

The median debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of California-San Diego comes in at $20,000.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Take a look at the composition of Mechanical Engineering graduates at University of California-San Diego, broken down by degree level.

Looking at the program as a whole, Mechanical Engineering graduates at University of California-San Diego are 24% women (66) and 76% men (212).

Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at University of California-San Diego

Among the 180 bachelor’s mechanical engineering degrees awarded at University of California-San Diego, 26% were women (46) and 74% were men (134).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	54
Hispanic / Latino	31
Black / African American	2
Asian	65
Two or More Races	8
International (Nonresident)	16
Unknown	4

Minority students account for 59% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego, higher than the national average of 34%.*

Mechanical Engineering Master’s Program at University of California-San Diego

Among the 83 master’s mechanical engineering graduates at University of California-San Diego, 20% were women (17) and 80% were men (66).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	20
Hispanic / Latino	10
Asian	15
Two or More Races	6
International (Nonresident)	30
Unknown	2

Minority students account for 37% of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego, higher than the national average of 23%.*

Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Program at University of California-San Diego

Of the 15 doctoral mechanical engineering degrees awarded at University of California-San Diego, 20% were women (3) and 80% were men (12).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at University of California-San Diego.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	2
Hispanic / Latino	1
Asian	2
International (Nonresident)	8
Unknown	2

Minority students account for 20% of Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at University of California-San Diego, higher 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 University of California-San Diego

This Mechanical Engineering program at University of California-San Diego includes the following sub-specializations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering	278

Top-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program at University of California-San Diego go on to a range of careers. The table below ranks 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.