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Mechanical engineering technologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a mechanical engineering technologist. Mechanical engineering technologists usually study mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, or electrical engineering. 46% of mechanical engineering technologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,487 real mechanical engineering technologist resumes to see exactly what mechanical engineering technologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for mechanical engineering technologists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online mechanical engineering technologist courses to help get the education required to be a mechanical engineering technologist.
There are certain mechanical engineering technologist certifications that you should consider. These mechanical engineering technologist certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).
What education do you need to become a mechanical engineering technologist?
What degree do you need to be a mechanical engineering technologist?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 35%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a mechanical engineering technologist?
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for mechanical engineering technologists
| Mechanical engineering technologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 7.76% |
| Northeastern University | 7.76% |
| Purdue University | 7.76% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 6.90% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.03% |
Best majors for mechanical engineering technologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 33.3% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 13.7% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 9.0% |
| 4 | Drafting And Design | 5.8% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 5.6% |
Best colleges for mechanical engineering technologists
The best colleges for mechanical engineering technologists are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
A mechanical engineering technologist 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 technologists. 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 technologists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
3. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of Dayton
Dayton, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$42,900
Enrollment
8,508
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
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 technologists
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6. Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design and Manufacturing with Fusion 360
Design for manufacturing is the process of designing parts, components, or products with the understanding surrounding design requirements for a specific manufacturing method. This course explores the design for manufacture workflow and shows how to validate models and create the G code, the programming language needed to instruct the CNC machine on how to move. We practice the basics of part and assembly design, and tools such as animation, rendering, and simulations using Autodesk Fusion 360...
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15. Data Center Essentials: Mechanical & Cooling
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16. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers
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17. AutoCAD Mechanical 2D and 3D for Beginners to Advanced
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18. Practical - ISTQB - Test Automation Engineer Course 2023
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19. Intro to Fluid Mechanics for Engineering Students Part 1
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20. Reliability and Maintenance Engineering - FMEA
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Top 10 most affordable universities for mechanical engineering technologists
The most affordable schools for mechanical engineering technologists are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and purdue university.
If the best universities for mechanical engineering technologists 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 technologists.
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. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
5. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
10. Eastern Washington University
Cheney, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,323
Cost of attendance
19,450
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mechanical engineering technologists
The hardest universities for mechanical engineering technologists to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for mechanical engineering technologists 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 technologists 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
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
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mechanical engineering technologists
The easiest schools for mechanical engineering technologists to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mechanical engineering technologist 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 technologists.
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. Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
4. Saint Francis University
Loretto, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
1,146
5. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
6. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
7. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
8. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
9. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
10. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,140
Average mechanical engineering technologist salary by education level
| Mechanical engineering technologist education level | Mechanical engineering technologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,954 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $57,115 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,335 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $60,092 |
Mechanical engineering technologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025