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Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University-Main Campus

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

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

During the most recent reporting year, 255 mechanical engineering degrees were awarded at Purdue University-Main Campus.

Online Class Availability at Purdue University-Main Campus

Many students take online classes at Purdue University-Main Campus. Of 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 to other colleges that offer this major.

Bachelor’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Indiana	#1 of 6
Best Schools (Quality)	Great Lakes (Region)	#2 of 31
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#2 of 130
Best Value	Indiana	#6 of 6
Best Value	Great Lakes (Region)	#18 of 31
Best Value	Nationwide	#68 of 131

Associate-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Indiana	#1 of 6
Best Schools (Quality)	Great Lakes (Region)	#2 of 31
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#2 of 130
Best Value	Indiana	#6 of 6
Best Value	Great Lakes (Region)	#18 of 31
Best Value	Nationwide	#68 of 131

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	$64,679
2 years	$59,756
3 years	$70,575
4 years	$75,842
5 years	$81,374

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 $75,842, compared with $79,539 for all Purdue University-Main Campus graduates — about 5% lower than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Median student loan debt for Mechanical Engineering graduates from Purdue University-Main Campus comes in at $20,500.

Student Demographics & Diversity

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

Across all degree levels, Mechanical Engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus are 12% women (31) and 88% men (224).

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

Of the 3 associate’s mechanical engineering graduates at Purdue University-Main Campus, 0% were women (0) and 100% were men (3).

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

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	3

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

Among the 252 bachelor’s mechanical engineering degrees awarded at Purdue University-Main Campus, 12% were women (31) and 88% were men (221).

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	182
Hispanic / Latino	16
Black / African American	4
Asian	18
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1
Two or More Races	8
International (Nonresident)	19
Unknown	4

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 19% of Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Purdue University-Main Campus, lower than the national average of 30%.*

*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

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

Concentration	Graduates
Aeronautical Engineering Technology	104
Mechanical Engineering Technology	151

Highest-Paying Careers for Mechanical Engineering Graduates

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program at Purdue University-Main Campus work across a variety of fields. The table below ranks the best-paid careers for Mechanical Engineering graduates, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians	$134,632
Robotics Technicians	$131,252
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other	$121,642
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians	$108,923
Photonics Technicians	$106,964
Automotive Engineering Technicians	$89,794
Mechanical Drafters	$78,252
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians	$77,835
Non-Destructive Testing Specialists	$57,631
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians	$50,761

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.