Get my odds
Dekalb, IL · Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering at NIU

NIU graduates about 101 mechanical engineering majors a year, 4% of its graduating class. That puts it 214th of 332 schools we score for mechanical engineering, a light program at 43 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 50 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 68% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $87,000 four years out, below the national figure for the same major (0.94×).

43/100Light#214 of 332 for mechanical engineering →
Graduates a year1014% of the class
Courses in the catalog50more than 68% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$87,0000.94× the same major nationally
Research in the field$720Ka year, NSF
Admit rate70%whole school

Around NIU

NIU Engineering Building on Garden Rd, November 2013
NIU Engineering Building on Garden RdPhoto: Alexbaumgarner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
NIU Anthropology Museum in Cole Hall, November 2013
NIU Anthropology Museum in Cole HallPhoto: Alexbaumgarner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Sculpture titled "The Balance of Equality", a 17-foot-tall stone sculpture insta
The Balance of EqualityPhoto: MuZemike · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Davis Hall from Central Quad at Northern Illinois University.
Davis Hall from Central Quad at NIUPhoto: Alexbaumgarner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Where mechanical engineering happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Engineering Building.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 72 · Dorm 15 · Athletics 6 · Student housing 6 · Chapel 2 · Arts 1.

Open the full-screen campus map →

Nearby in the mechanical engineering ranking

  1. University of New Orleans 44
  2. Southern Illinois University–Carbondale 44
  3. Norwich University 44
  4. New Mexico State University 43
  5. University of Colorado Colorado Springs 43
  6. University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 43
  7. University of South Alabama 43
  8. University of Memphis 43

Other strong majors at NIU

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares NIU with every school we score in mechanical engineering. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

See your odds at NIU Everything about NIU