Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges in Virginia2026 Rankings
Virginia is home to 10 accredited institutions offering Mechanical Engineering programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, University of Virginia-Main Campus is the most selective, admitting 17% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $15,885, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $34,012. Median early-career earnings for Mechanical Engineering graduates in this state average $42,717 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 62%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Virginia-Main CampusPublic | Excellent· 46 | 17% | 95% | $14,658 | $74,366 | 15:1 | 61 | 17,315 |
| 2 | Virginia Military InstitutePublic | Excellent· 43 | 82% | 82% | $10,551 | $47,837 | 10:1 | 16 | 1,560 |
| 3 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityPublic | Excellent· 42 | 57% | 86% | $19,660 | $78,280 | 17:1 | 74 | 30,435 |
| 4 | George Mason UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 89% | 69% | $16,296 | $73,570 | 16:1 | 68 | 27,083 |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 93% | 65% | $16,455 | $73,355 | 17:1 | 56 | 20,797 |
| 6 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 91% | 44% | $13,142 | $71,774 | 15:1 | 52 | 17,521 |
| 7 | Norfolk State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 87% | 33% | $13,868 | $36,917 | 18:1 | 32 | 5,495 |
| 8 | Virginia State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 89% | 41% | $17,511 | $65,472 | 13:1 | 33 | 4,787 |
| 9 | ECPI UniversityPrivate | Average· 29 | 83% | 45% | $20,806 | $45,216 | 12:1 | 17 | 11,270 |
| 10 | Liberty UniversityPrivate | Average· 26 | 99% | 63% | $26,312 | $65,794 | 18:1 | 72 | 50,059 |