Best Mechanical Engineering Degree Programs in Pennsylvania in 2026
The best mechanical engineering degree programs in Pennsylvania for your application list depend partly on the calendar you want. This 2026 ranking reviews Penn State’s University Park degree, Drexel’s co-op routes in Philadelphia and Lehigh’s mechanical program in Bethlehem.
The three options place different demands around a common foundation in mechanics, thermal systems and design. Compare Penn State’s required controls and mechatronics work, Drexel’s choice of co-op commitments, and Lehigh’s capstone beginning in junior spring. The national mechanical engineering ranking offers additional formats to consider.
Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s rankings by state+
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Inside this ranking
How we ranked mechanical engineering bachelor’s programs in Pennsylvania
This is a researched selection of three mechanical engineering bachelor’s programs in Pennsylvania. We checked the exact degrees against official program and catalog sources and selected different academic approaches for comparison. It is not an exhaustive list of the state’s eligible programs.
Penn State University Park leads this selection for its required integration of mechanical design, mechatronics, instrumentation and systems modeling. Drexel follows for the substantial choice between one-co-op and three-co-op degree routes. Lehigh adds integrated product development, three mechanical laboratories and a capstone schedule that starts in the junior year. The order reflects our assessment of this reviewed selection; see the ranking methodology.
$10,439 resident lower-division tuition per semester
Cost basis & conditions +
University Park full-time tuition effective fall 2026. Resident upper-division engineering tuition is $13,389 per semester. Nonresident lower-division and upper-division engineering rates are $22,287 and $26,328 respectively. Fees and living expenses are separate.
Penn State’s University Park mechanical degree gives sensing and control a visible place alongside mechanics and thermal sciences. Mechatronics, modeling of dynamic systems, and circuit analysis with instrumentation are required subjects. Design methodology and mechanical design then support the culminating systems design project. We include this campus for applicants who want those connections within a conventional mechanical engineering foundation and are prepared to plan around a defined entrance-to-major process.
Where it stands out
Put the required mechatronics and systems laboratory courses on your comparison list if your interests include automated machines or controlled physical systems. The technical elective structure provides additional room after the common core. Students considering a different starting Penn State campus should obtain a plan that explicitly shows their intended University Park completion route.
What to weigh
University admission and entrance to the mechanical major are separate stages. The current University Park GPA and graded-credit requirements must be read for the student’s entering class; another campus’s threshold does not apply here. Costs also rise at upper-division engineering standing, so use both tuition stages when comparing the financial commitment.
Attendance:This review covers the University Park completion campus. The catalog lists separate entrance rules for other completion locations.
Mechanical Engineering Design Methodology and Mechanical Design develop the design foundation.
Required Mechatronics, Modeling of Dynamic Systems and Circuit Analysis, Instrumentation, and Statistics connect physical systems with sensing and control.
Fluid flow, thermodynamics, heat transfer and a mechanical engineering systems laboratory complete the thermal and experimental core.
Admission & progression
For the 2026–27 entering class at University Park, entrance requires enrollment in Engineering or the Division of Undergraduate Studies, 29–55 graded Penn State credits and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20.
Specified chemistry, introductory engineering design, calculus and physics courses require C or better. Transfer and AP credits do not count toward the 29–55 graded Penn State credit window.
Earlier entering classes should use their applicable archived entrance requirements.
Design & practical experience
The degree requires Mechanical Systems Design Project (ME 440W) or the listed ME 441W alternative.
A systems laboratory and required mechatronics course apply the analytical coursework.
Three engineering co-op rotations can satisfy three general technical elective credits under the catalog rules.
Four years with one co-op or five years with three co-ops
Study format
Campus
Program accreditation
Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET
2026–2027 tuition
$63,078 first-year tuition
Cost basis & conditions +
University estimate before aid, with $2,420 in fees and housing and food listed separately. Later yearly bills follow the class and co-op calendar. During co-op, Drexel does not bill tuition, while university fees and applicable living costs continue.
Drexel lets you compare two distinct commitments to cooperative education within the same mechanical degree. The catalog identifies a four-year plan with one co-op and a five-year plan with three. Both sit alongside technical coursework in mechanics, thermal systems, materials, controls and computing, ending in a three-course senior design project. The choice makes Drexel useful for applicants who want work experience built into the degree but need to weigh how much calendar time to devote to it.
Where it stands out
Read the experimental mechanics and dynamic systems laboratory requirements if you want to connect analysis with measurements. Computer-aided engineering and numerical methods add a computational component to that practical work. Your preferred co-op route should then guide the comparison of class terms, work periods and time in Philadelphia.
What to weigh
The 190-credit minimum uses quarter credits. Treat it in that system when comparing tuition or course loads. Placement into preparatory mathematics, physics or chemistry can also change the sample schedule, so obtain an individual plan before assuming the shortest published route fits your academic starting point.
University tuition before aid. Lehigh lists a separate $870 fee for applicable engineering/science and other designated programs, plus technology, activity and wellness fees. Housing, meals, books, personal expenses and other applicable charges are additional.
Lehigh places its two-part capstone across junior spring and senior fall, a useful distinction for anyone planning work or study away. The mechanical curriculum supports that project with three laboratory courses, manufacturing, engineering graphics and numerical methods. Its stated emphasis on integrated product development connects computer-aided design and manufacturing with a business context. We include Lehigh for applicants who want this combination of product development, technical analysis and a substantial humanities and social-science component.
Where it stands out
This is a useful campus to investigate if you want an engineering foundation before committing to a particular major. Rossin students begin without a formal major declaration, with advising and peer support during the shared first-year experience. Once in mechanical engineering, use the approved electives to discuss whether you want more depth in an application area or a broader technical preparation.
What to weigh
The capstone schedule starts earlier than a senior-year-only project. Plan any co-op discussion during the first year and check how a later absence would fit the prerequisite sequence. The degree’s 129-credit requirement applies to mechanical engineering; the separate engineering mechanics curriculum has different requirements and should be compared as its own award.
What matters in mechanical engineering bachelor’s programs in Pennsylvania
Systems and design requirements
We examine how mechanics, thermal science, computing and control contribute to required project work.
The work and study calendar
Co-op routes and multi-term capstones have consequences for both the academic plan and living costs.
Exact campus and award
The review retains University Park-specific entrance rules and separates mechanical engineering from related degrees.
Choose a mechanical program by its required applications
Penn State’s University Park curriculum includes mechatronics, dynamic-system modeling and instrumentation alongside its mechanical systems laboratory. Those requirements are useful to inspect if you want to connect machines with sensing and control. Drexel combines experimental mechanics and dynamic systems laboratories with computer-aided engineering and a three-course senior design project.
Lehigh emphasizes integrated product development and supports its project work with manufacturing, graphics and numerical methods. Compare recent assignments and assessment criteria across these settings. The mechanical versus electrical engineering guide can help if your interests sit between a physical machine and its control electronics.
Put co-op and capstone terms on the same calendar
Drexel explicitly offers a four-year route with one co-op and a five-year route with three. Lehigh’s mechanical capstone begins in spring of junior year and continues in fall of senior year. At Penn State, specified engineering co-op rotations can count toward a general technical elective, but that credit rule does not make work experience a requirement for every student.
Request a term-by-term plan that marks classes, work periods and the capstone. Then ask how a missed prerequisite or a different placement result would change it. A co-op placement also needs its own explanation of employer selection, academic approval and what happens if the desired assignment is unavailable.
Compare campus entry rules and tuition periods
This Penn State review covers University Park. The current catalog lists another completion campus with different entrance criteria, so verify the rules for the destination you intend and your entering class. Lehigh’s separate engineering mechanics degree should likewise be evaluated as its own program rather than treated as another title for the mechanical curriculum.
Drexel uses quarter credits, while Penn State and Lehigh use semester credits. Their cost figures also need their stated periods: Drexel’s first-year estimate changes with the later class/co-op calendar, Penn State’s engineering tuition changes at upper division, and Lehigh lists annual tuition with additional fees. Start with the engineering cost guide, then compare actual aid offers.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Does the Penn State review apply to every campus?+
No. This review covers completion at University Park and uses its current entrance-to-major rules. Ask for a campus-specific plan if you intend to start or finish elsewhere in the Penn State system.
How many co-ops are in Drexel’s mechanical degree?+
The catalog offers a four-year plan with one co-op or a five-year plan with three. The choice changes the calendar and should guide the budget for both study and work terms.
When does Lehigh’s mechanical capstone begin?+
The catalog places Capstone Design Project I in junior spring and Capstone Design Project II in senior fall. Coordinate any co-op or study-away plans with that sequence.
Can I compare Drexel’s 190 credits directly with semester totals?+
Drexel’s total uses quarter credits. Compare the requirements within their own credit systems and ask how specific transfer courses apply, rather than reading the raw totals as equivalent workloads.
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