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Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

If you are interested in studying Mechanical Engineering, you may want to check out the program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We’ve gathered the following information to help you decide.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is located in Blacksburg, VA.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 447 mechanical engineering graduations were recorded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Studying Online at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Many students take online classes at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Among 38,857 students, 1,577 (4%) studied exclusively online and 19,313 (50%) took at least some classes online.

Mechanical Engineering Rankings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Rankings can help you compare Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Mechanical Engineering program against peer institutions.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking Scope Rank
Best Schools (Quality) Virginia #1 of 7
Best Schools (Quality) Southeast (Region) #6 of 70
Best Value Virginia #6 of 7
Best Schools (Quality) Nationwide #48 of 365
Best Value Southeast (Region) #60 of 70
Best Value Nationwide #263 of 364

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking Scope Rank
Best Schools (Quality) Virginia #1 of 7
Best Schools (Quality) Southeast (Region) #6 of 70
Best Value Virginia #6 of 7
Best Schools (Quality) Nationwide #48 of 365
Best Value Southeast (Region) #60 of 70
Best Value Nationwide #263 of 364

Earnings for Mechanical Engineering Graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Those who finish Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Mechanical Engineering program earn the following amounts (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Median earnings by years after graduation for Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Years After Graduation Median Earnings
1 year $70,451
2 years $72,479
3 years $78,673
4 years $86,661
5 years $98,872

How does this compare to the school overall? Four years after graduating, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University take home a median $86,661, compared with $77,896 for all Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates — about 11% higher than the school-wide median.

Mechanical Engineering earnings compared with all majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Median Debt at Graduation

Median student loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is $23,000.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Below you’ll find the composition of Mechanical Engineering graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, by degree type.

Program-wide, Mechanical Engineering graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are 17% women (74) and 83% men (373).

Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Of the 352 bachelor’s mechanical engineering degrees awarded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 16% were women (57) and 84% were men (295).

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University gender breakdown of Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's degree recipients

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

Race / Ethnicity Number of Graduates
White 215
Hispanic / Latino 35
Black / African American 17
Asian 35
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1
Two or More Races 15
International (Nonresident) 27
Unknown 7
Racial-ethnic diversity of Mechanical Engineering majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 29% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, lower than the national average of 34%.*

Mechanical Engineering Master’s Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Among the 66 master’s mechanical engineering graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 15% were women (10) and 85% were men (56).

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University gender breakdown of Mechanical Engineering Master's degree recipients

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Race / Ethnicity Number of Graduates
White 32
Hispanic / Latino 3
Asian 5
Two or More Races 3
International (Nonresident) 23
Racial-ethnic diversity of Mechanical Engineering majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 17% of Mechanical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, lower than the national average of 23%.*

Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Among the 29 doctoral mechanical engineering graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 24% were women (7) and 76% were men (22).

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University gender breakdown of Mechanical Engineering Doctoral degree recipients

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Race / Ethnicity Number of Graduates
White 7
Asian 3
International (Nonresident) 19
Racial-ethnic diversity of Mechanical Engineering majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Minority students account for 10% of Mechanical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 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 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

The Mechanical Engineering program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University includes the following sub-specializations:

Concentration Graduates
General Mechanical Engineering 447

Highest-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University work across a variety of fields. Below 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

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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