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Mechanical engineering director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a mechanical engineering director. Mechanical engineering directors usually study mechanical engineering, engineering, or management. 78% of mechanical engineering directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 152 real mechanical engineering director resumes to see exactly what mechanical engineering director education sections show.
The most common colleges for mechanical engineering directors are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online mechanical engineering director courses to help get the education required to be a mechanical engineering director.
What education do you need to become a mechanical engineering director?
What degree do you need to be a mechanical engineering director?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a mechanical engineering director?
- Engineering, 5%
- Management, 3%
- Business, 2%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for mechanical engineering directors
| Mechanical engineering director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 6.67% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 6.67% |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 6.67% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 6.67% |
| Northeastern University | 6.67% |
Best majors for mechanical engineering directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 63.3% |
| 2 | Engineering | 5.5% |
| 3 | Management | 3.1% |
| 4 | Business | 2.3% |
| 5 | Engineering And Industrial Management | 2.3% |
Best colleges for mechanical engineering directors
The best colleges for mechanical engineering directors are Columbia University in the City of New York, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A mechanical engineering director 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 engineering directors. 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 engineering directors.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for mechanical engineering directors
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3. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
4. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers
Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...
5. Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Review
The purpose of this course is to review the material covered in the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to enable the student to pass it. It will be presented in modules corresponding to the FE topics, particularly those in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Each module will review main concepts, illustrate them with examples, and provide extensive practice problems...
6. Modelling and simulation of mechanical systems
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7. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)
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8. Mechanics / Statics - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
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9. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers
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10. Product Development & Systems Engineering
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13. Internal Combustion Engine Basics (Mechanical Engineering)
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14. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
15. Python for Mechanical Engineers
Learn Python to solve problems in mechanical fields...
16. Manufacturing process selection and Design for manufacturing
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17. Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Explained
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18. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development
Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...
19. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Fundamentals and Advanced
Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Airplanes - Aerodynamics, Flight Maneuvers, JET Engines...
20. Engineering Mechanics: Statics
The Study of Objects in Equilibrium...
Top 10 most affordable universities for mechanical engineering directors
The most affordable schools for mechanical engineering directors are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for mechanical engineering directors 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 engineering directors.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 mechanical engineering directors
The hardest universities for mechanical engineering directors to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for mechanical engineering directors 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 engineering directors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mechanical engineering directors
The easiest schools for mechanical engineering directors to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas permian basin, and the university of texas at el paso.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mechanical engineering director 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 engineering directors.
1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
Average mechanical engineering director salary by education level
| Mechanical engineering director education level | Mechanical engineering director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $152,393 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $134,518 |
| Doctorate Degree | $174,937 |
Mechanical engineering director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025