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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student-teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire a master’s in mechanical engineering but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best master’s in mechanical engineering programs.

What institution did we omit from this list? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

1. Stanford University, Stanford, CA

In addition to outstanding bachelor’s degrees in various concentrations of engineering, the department has an exceptional master’s degree in mechanical engineering. For learners wishing to study further, two doctoral degrees are available in engineering. The mechanical engineering degree program helps learners integrate their intellectual and real-world experiences.

2. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

The master’s in mechanical engineering at CalTech is selective, and this degree program promotes high job selection success among graduates. The degree program requires 54 elemental course units in mechanical engineering, with an additional 30 in free electives and a graduate seminar. Many of these consist of research as integral components. Sample coursework might consist of studies in fluid mechanics, mechanics of structures and solids, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, heat and mass transfer, combustion, mechanical systems and design, and controls.

Nearly every single graduate learner in this degree program receives some sort of financial support. Many obtain full tuition remission along with a stipend for living expenses.

3. University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

The masters of engineering degree program at Berkeley prepares professional leaders who comprehend technical, environmental, and social issues connected to mechanical engineering. This degree program can be earned in conjunction with a PhD or by itself. Berkeley also has some of the most generous financial aid programs in the country.

Berkeley’s graduate programs also include a student mentoring and research teams degree program. This groundbreaking endeavor partners graduate learners with undergraduates to assist with original research and summer funding. Also, learners will take classes in subjects such as advanced tissue mechanics; advanced structural aspects of biomaterials; introduction to mems design; deformation and fracture of engineering materials; experiential advanced control design; nonlinear systems; hybrid systems and intelligent control; and advanced technical communication: proposals, patents, and presentations.

Berkeley mechanical engineering is one of the top-rated public programs in the world. Faculty and learners hail from diverse backgrounds and work in the most pioneering research and teaching laboratories.

4. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Cornell’s master of science in mechanical engineering is one of the most customizable programs in the country. Graduate learners can cross department boundaries to design programs that meet their unique career and academic goals. This degree program  boasts a diverse learner community with many international learners. Graduates frequently go on to high-rated academic, leadership, research, and sector positions.

The degree program, which takes around two years to finish, couples a strong research element with academic rigor. Learners will undertake original research with a field faculty member, which is eventually documented in a master’s thesis. Nearly 500 learners study in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell. Learners engage with tenure-path faculty, lecturers who are sector experts, and technical research staff. The institution is committed to diversity, with over 50 percent of the first-year class containing women.

5. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

The department of mechanical engineering at Northwestern teaches core subjects in the field. At Northwestern, learners benefit from prestigious professors who perform cutting-edge research while also teaching small classes and providing individualized attention.

While most learners select to pursue the standalone master of science in mechanical engineering, Northwestern also has a myriad of programs in product design and development management, engineering design and innovation, robots, and theoretical and applied mechanics. Most programs can lead to an eventual PhD if desired. Learners may pursue concentrations within the general degree, including energy and sustainability, simulation-driven engineering, robotics and control, nanotechnology, and biology and bio-inspired engineering.

Learners are given multiple opportunities to succeed at Northwestern and thrive on a beautiful campus just twelve miles from downtown Chicago. An assortment of service programs is available outside the classroom, including Design for America and Engineers for a Sustainable World. Learners lead projects like the installation of solar panels and founding start-up companies. These experiences provide learners with the necessary knowledge of the design of creative and sustainable systems, preparing them for long-term careers and individual advancement.

6. Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA

Georgia Institute of Technology enables learners to finish their graduate studies in an array of settings.

Many graduate course offerings are electives, allowing learners to take a wide variety of classes. Learners may take a non-thesis or thesis choice. The thesis choice enables learners to work with a faculty mentor to work in a laboratory or research environment. Regardless of the pathway chosen, learners will take classes such as designing open engineering systems, optimization in engineering design, computer-aided design, modeling and simulation in design, finite-element method: theory and practice, principles of continuum mechanics, and inelastic deformation of solids.

7. Columbia University, New York, NY

Learners at Columbia study and research in the most cutting-edge research centers for interdisciplinary research in the world. The engineering department is small, with a learner to faculty ratio of just seven to one. This enables learners to be active participants in their education and to become involved in projects, research, and design competitions.

In this degree program, graduate learners have a choice between tracks. Learners will customize a schedule, including a sampling of the following classes: advanced machine dynamics; small scale mechanical behavior; transport phenomena in the presence of interfaces; solar thermal engineering; sensors, actuators, and electromechanical systems; and contact mechanics, lubrication of diarthrodial duals, and cartilage tissue engineering. The mechanical engineering degree program enables learners to integrate a strong liberal arts education core within their engineering coursework. Additionally, learners will work with state-of-the-art equipment in the computer-aided design lab and the mechatronics laboratory, among others.

8. Duke University, Durham, NC

The mechanical engineering degree program at Duke has extensive collaboration with other departments, bridging engineering, science, and management. Learners will engage in core management classes, internships, and professional development workshops so that they are fully prepared for career success. Learners may select to concentrate coursework in one of five areas, including: aerospace; materials science; mechanics, dynamics, and controls; robotics; and thermal fluids.

Learners benefit from an inclusive, close-knit community with faculty-guided, project-based learning. Additionally, because the institution is situated in the largest research park in the United States, there is no shortage of out-of-classroom opportunities.

9. Rice University, Houston, TX

The Brown School of Engineering at Rice is not that big, admitting only 50 graduate learners each year. Learners benefit from Rice’s location in Houston, providing them connections to cooperative research projects, summer internships, and contacts for after graduation. Learners will work with a thesis advisor from the very beginning of their studies. Advisors help learners determine the best possible pathways for achieving their career goals. Required classes consist of nonlinear systems, vibration, numerical methods, finite element analysis, computational fluid mechanics, and introduction to hydrodynamic stability.

Rice is continually rated among the top education and research institutions in the country. Learners provide feedback through town hall meetings and ongoing surveys. Graduate programs are heavily influenced by sector feedback, as well.

10. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Learners in the master of science in engineering degree program may pursue an individualized academic specialty. Learners may select to pursue coursework only, coursework with an individual research project, or coursework with an MSE thesis. All programs require 30 credits and allow learners to communicate with a Graduate Coordinator to develop the best possible course to finish a degree pathway. Required classes consist of introduction to solid mechanics; thermodynamics; introduction to dynamics and vibrations; design and manufacturing; research, innovation, service, and entrepreneurship; strength of materials; and fluid mechanics.

11. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

The mechanical engineering degree program offers graduates the technical education needed for success. Learners will take a core set of classes in technical areas, along with electives in selected areas of interest. Learners may select from three concentrations: thermal and fluid sciences, engineering design, or mechanics and materials.

Students learn about and engage in the process of influencing things on an international scale. Also, learners will select from an array of classes that meet individual career needs. Common course requirements consist of engineering analysis, advanced mechanical design, engineering information modeling units, applied elasticity, computational solutions to engineering problems, and elements of vehicle and energy systems design.

The institution is situated at the center of a technologically advanced, interactive city. This contributes to the overall diversity and cooperative nature of the degree program. Learners collaborate, along with faculty and experts within the engineering sector.

12. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

The University of Notre Dame has a prominent reputation as one of the top institutions in the world, in particular for undergraduate education. But its graduate programs aren’t lacking either,  and it provides learners with interdisciplinary opportunities. The master of engineering is designed for learners who are interested specifically in engineering management.

Twenty-four credits are required to graduate, which allows learners to finish their studies in minimal time. Required classes include mathematical methods, negotiation, organizational consulting, business intelligence, spreadsheet decision modeling technology and business, and ebusiness technology.

Learners are supported by a wide variety of resources at the University of Notre Dame, including the extensive institution library system. Learners also have access to the most advanced research and intellectual laboratories in the United States at the institution’s various centers.

13. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL

The master of engineering in mechanical engineering enables learners to obtain graduate degrees from one of the world’s best engineering institutions. This unique Midwestern campus couples collaboration and flexibility to attract the most talented learners to the department.

The undergraduate and graduate engineering programs are rated in the top five, both nationally and internationally; the university has an excellent reputation for its leadership in both research and education. The degree program is adaptable, allowing learners to select between management classes or a capstone project in mechanical engineering. Learners may select concentrations in: biomechanics, controls and dynamics, fluid mechanics and thermal sciences, Nanomechanics and Nanomanufacturing, and solid mechanics and materials.

The institution also has top-notch career immersion services. Learners benefit from career development services offered through the College of Engineering, all of which provide workshops to move learners through the job search process. Learners are connected each semester with sector experts at various career fairs and networking events.

14. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

At Rensselaer Polytechnic, graduate learners will engage in pioneering research and pursue coursework in small classes. Several concentrations are available in which learners may select to specialize. They may also select to take a sampling of electives from them all.

A unique feature of Rensselaer’s graduate degree program in mechanical engineering is the capacity for learners to investigate opportunities outside the classroom. Learners may enroll in domestic or overseas exchange programs, internships, or even real-world work experience. Learners work with leading industrialists, government officials, and educators on the close-knit Troy campus.

15. University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

The University of Texas at Austin has more than 24,000 faculty and staff. The institution is one of the best in the United States at providing top-rated, individualized attention to every graduate learner. Within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, learners may specialize in several distinct areas of study. This concentration enables learners to become educated in the most current societal needs. Specializations consist of acoustics, biomechanical engineering, dynamic systems and control, manufacturing and design, materials engineering, nuclear and radiation engineering, and thermal/fluids systems.

The institution also has extensive financial aid to qualified learners. Most aid is based on academic performance, allowing talented learners to obtain graduate degrees with minimal expense. Available opportunities consist of fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships.