Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges in North Carolina2026 Rankings
With 5 Mechanical Engineering programs spread across North Carolina, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
North Carolina offers 3 public and 2 private Mechanical Engineering programs in this ranking. Public universities average $25,814 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — Duke University — accepts 7% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Mechanical Engineering graduates average $38,266, with a state-wide graduation rate of 72% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 52 | 7% | 96% | $6,901 | $89,938 | 6:1 | 59 | 6,417 |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at RaleighPublic | Excellent· 44 | 40% | 85% | $13,992 | $69,078 | 15:1 | 77 | 26,389 |
| 3 | University of North Carolina at CharlottePublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 68% | $14,014 | $69,178 | 21:1 | 69 | 23,567 |
| 4 | North Carolina A & T State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 46% | 55% | $13,024 | $72,278 | 20:1 | 58 | 11,925 |
| 5 | Campbell UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 94% | 56% | $19,451 | $44,910 | 13:1 | 56 | 2,790 |