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Lead mechanical engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead mechanical engineer. Lead mechanical engineers usually study mechanical engineering, engineering, or mechanical engineering technology. 76% of lead mechanical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,805 real lead mechanical engineer resumes to see exactly what lead mechanical engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead mechanical engineers are the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
There are also many online lead mechanical engineer courses to help get the education required to be a lead mechanical engineer.
There are certain lead mechanical engineer certifications that you should consider. These lead mechanical engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a lead mechanical engineer?
What degree do you need to be a lead mechanical engineer?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a lead mechanical engineer?
- Engineering, 4%
- Business, 3%
- Other Majors, 21%
Most common colleges for lead mechanical engineers
| Lead mechanical engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 8.37% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.95% |
| University of Florida | 6.69% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.28% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.28% |
Best majors for lead mechanical engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 68.4% |
| 2 | Engineering | 4.3% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 4.2% |
| 4 | Business | 3.5% |
| 5 | Drafting And Design | 3.3% |
Best colleges for lead mechanical engineers
The best colleges for lead mechanical engineers are California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A lead 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 lead 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 lead 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. Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Ames, IA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,988
Enrollment
29,248
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
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 lead mechanical engineers
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20. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead mechanical engineers
The most affordable schools for lead mechanical engineers are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico arecibo, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.
If the best universities for lead 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 lead mechanical engineers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead mechanical engineers
The hardest universities for lead mechanical engineers to get into are California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for lead 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 lead 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. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead mechanical engineers
The easiest schools for lead 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 a lead 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 lead 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. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
5. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
6. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
7. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
8. Alcorn State University
Alcorn State, MS • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
9. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average lead mechanical engineer salary by education level
| Lead mechanical engineer education level | Lead mechanical engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $103,449 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,378 |
| Doctorate Degree | $110,562 |
Lead mechanical engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025