Associate mechanical engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate mechanical engineer. Associate mechanical engineers usually study mechanical engineering, automotive technology, or drafting and design. 65% of associate mechanical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 665 real associate mechanical engineer resumes to see exactly what associate mechanical engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate mechanical engineers are the University of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida.

There are also many online associate mechanical engineer courses to help get the education required to be an associate mechanical engineer.

What education do you need to become an associate mechanical engineer?

What degree do you need to be an associate mechanical engineer?

The most common degree for associate mechanical engineers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of associate mechanical engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Associate, 13%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an associate mechanical engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become an associate mechanical engineer. 64% of associate mechanical engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for an associate mechanical engineer include automotive technology and drafting and design.

Mechanical Engineering, 64%

Automotive Technology, 5%

Drafting And Design, 4%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 4%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for associate mechanical engineers

Associate mechanical engineers often get their degrees at University of Central Florida, San Jose State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for associate mechanical engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Associate mechanical engineer common college	Percentages
University of Central Florida	13.51%
San Jose State University	8.11%
Pennsylvania State University	7.21%
University of California, Santa Barbara	7.21%
University of California - Davis	6.31%

Show more common associate mechanical engineer colleges

Best majors for associate mechanical engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	64.3%
2	Automotive Technology	5.3%
3	Drafting And Design	4.4%
4	Mechanical Engineering Technology	4.2%
5	Aerospace Engineering	3.6%

Show more common associate mechanical engineer majors

Best colleges for associate mechanical engineers

The best colleges for associate mechanical engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

An associate mechanical engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for associate mechanical engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become associate mechanical engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Ames, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,988

Enrollment

29,248

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for associate mechanical engineers

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The Study of Objects in Equilibrium...

14. Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Explained

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15. AutoCAD Mechanical 2D and 3D for Beginners to Advanced

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18. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development

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19. Manufacturing process selection and Design for manufacturing

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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate mechanical engineers

The most affordable schools for associate mechanical engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and purdue university.

If the best universities for associate mechanical engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for associate mechanical engineers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

8. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$4,118

Cost of attendance

12,223

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate mechanical engineers

The hardest universities for associate mechanical engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for associate mechanical engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for associate mechanical engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate mechanical engineers

The easiest schools for associate mechanical engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and cleveland state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate mechanical engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for associate mechanical engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

4. Montana Technological University

Butte, MT • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,199

5. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,140

6. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

7. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

Average associate mechanical engineer salary by education level

According to our data, associate mechanical engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $82,235 annually. Associate mechanical engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $77,569.

Associate mechanical engineer education level	Associate mechanical engineer salary
Master's Degree	$77,569
Bachelor's Degree	$70,895
Doctorate Degree	$82,235

Associate mechanical engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Associate Mechanical Engineers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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