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Davis, CA · Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering at UC Davis

UC Davis graduates about 153 mechanical engineering majors a year, 2% of its graduating class. That puts it 67th of 332 schools we score for mechanical engineering, a strong program at 72 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 41 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 51% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $102,000 four years out, 1.11× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $17 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

72/100Strong#67 of 332 for mechanical engineering →
Graduates a year1532% of the class
Courses in the catalog41more than 51% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$102,0001.11× the same major nationally
Research in the field$17Ma year, NSF
Admit rate44%whole school

Around UC Davis

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District’s commander Col. Bill Leady and
District leaders discuss career, internship opportunities at UC Davis Night withPhoto: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District · Public domain · source
Mechanical Lab Example next door
Mechanical Lab Example next door (6991045580)Photo: UC Davis College of Engineering · CC BY 2.0 · source
UC Davis Health Stadium, home of the UC Davis Aggies football
UC Davis Health Stadium aerial view 2024Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · source
UCD Health Stadium front gate (Gate 1) with tule fog in December 2025
UCDHS Tule FogPhoto: Wasian127 · CC BY 4.0 · source

Where mechanical engineering happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation, Tercero Mechanical, Engineering Unit 2 Wind Tunnel, Regan Mechanical.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 204 · Student housing 77 · Dorm 48 · Athletics 12 · Arts 6 · Dining 3.

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Nearby in the mechanical engineering ranking

  1. New York University 73
  2. University of Tulsa 73
  3. North Carolina State University 72
  4. University of Dayton 72
  5. University of California, Santa Barbara 72
  6. Southern Methodist University 72
  7. George Washington University 72
  8. Saint Louis University 72

Other strong majors at UC Davis

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares UC Davis 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.

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