Post job

Mechanical development engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mechanical development engineer. Mechanical development engineers usually study mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, or aerospace engineering. 74% of mechanical development engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 451 real mechanical development engineer resumes to see exactly what mechanical development engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for mechanical development engineers are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.

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

What education do you need to become a mechanical development engineer?

What degree do you need to be a mechanical development engineer?

The most common degree for mechanical development engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of mechanical development engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a mechanical development engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a mechanical development engineer. 75% of mechanical development engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a mechanical development engineer include mechanical engineering technology and aerospace engineering.

Most common colleges for mechanical development engineers

Mechanical development engineers often get their degrees at Northeastern University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Here are the most common colleges for mechanical development engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Mechanical development engineer common collegePercentages
Northeastern University10.87%
Rochester Institute of Technology6.52%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute6.52%
University of Illinois at Chicago5.43%
University of Massachusetts Boston5.43%

Best majors for mechanical development engineers

Best colleges for mechanical development engineers

The best colleges for mechanical development engineers are California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development engineers

Advertising disclosure

1. Engineering and Product Design Processes

coursera

Welcome to “Engineering and Product Design Processes!” In this short course, you will learn how engineering design processes and product design processes are carried out. After the course, you will be familiar with the steps in both design processes. You will also be familiar with the main goal of each design process, as well as their similarities and differences...

2. Mechanical design and Product development process

udemy
4.2
(604)

Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

3. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers

udemy
4.4
(542)

Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...

4. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development

udemy
4.9
(491)

Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...

5. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

udemy
4.3
(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

6. Design Failure Mode Effect Analysis - Concepts & Practice

udemy
4.3
(578)

Learn about the fundamentals of preparing DFMEA for Mechanical design engineers...

7. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development

udemy
4.4
(648)

Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...

8. Product Development & Systems Engineering

udemy
4.6
(3,086)

The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...

9. Learning SOLIDWORKS: For Students, Engineers, and Designers

udemy
4.4
(2,712)

For Basic and Intermediate Users...

10. Mechanics / Statics - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

udemy
4.5
(263)

Engineering Solid Mechanics / Engineering Statics...

11. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)

udemy
4.6
(374)

Learn about the diesel engine! Ideal for Automotive Engineering and Automobile Engineering!...

12. The Complete Engineering Mechanics Course

udemy
4.5
(311)

Master the fundamentals of mechanics, statics and applied physics and then solve real-world mechanics problems...

13. Automotive product design using CATIA V5

udemy
4.4
(624)

Automotive domain design using CATIA, interior and exterior trims on CATIA, Plastic product design in Automotive sector...

14. Python for Mechanical Engineers

udemy
4.3
(444)

Learn Python to solve problems in mechanical fields...

15. Reliability and Maintenance Engineering - FMEA

udemy
4
(533)

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis - A mechanical engineering approach to risk management of plant and machinery...

16. Manufacturing process selection and Design for manufacturing

udemy
4.5
(657)

Learn about the basics of selecting process for a mechanical design and the principles of design for Manufacturing...

17. Ultimate Guide to Product Design: Design Thinking Approach

udemy
4.1
(1,005)

Uncover the Secrets of Successful Products for Outstanding User Experience. Design unique product that your users love!...

18. Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design

udemy
4.6
(8,540)

A complete design education for product designers: Research the user experience, then design a great user interface...

19. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners

udemy
4.5
(1,111)

Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...

20. Basics of Tolerance Stack-up Analysis and Fits with GD & T

udemy
4.4
(494)

Learn About Tolerances Stack-up Analysis and about fits in engineering with multiple examples with GD & T for mechanical...

Top 10 most affordable universities for mechanical development engineers

The most affordable schools for mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development engineers

The hardest universities for mechanical development engineers to get into are California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development engineers

The easiest schools for mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development 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 mechanical development engineer salary by education level

Mechanical development engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $108,816 annually. With a Master's degree, mechanical development engineers earn a median annual income of $101,467 compared to $91,106 for mechanical development engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
Mechanical development engineer education levelMechanical development engineer salary
Master's Degree$101,467
Bachelor's Degree$91,106
Doctorate Degree$108,816

Mechanical development engineer education FAQs

Search for mechanical development engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

Browse architecture and engineering jobs