Scholarships to Study at the Top Mechanical Engineering Schools in 2018

This year’s QS World University Rankings by Subject includes a ranking of 400 of the world’s top mechanical engineering universities, based on a methodology which assesses academic and employer reputations and other factors.

Studying at one of these top mechanical engineering schools unfortunately doesn’t come cheap, which is why scholarships can be so important. Below, you’ll find information about the scholarships and funding opportunities available at each of the 10 highest-ranked institutions for mechanical engineering. Alternatively, you can explore the full interactive mechanical engineering ranking here, or browse more general scholarships for engineering students here.

10. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

Up from 12^th to 10^th in this year’s mechanical engineering ranking, the United States’ Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) earns one of the highest scores in the top 10 for H-Index citations, a measure of research impact. Interestingly, mechanical engineering was the first degree-granting program to be offered at the university after it was established in 1895.

Georgia Tech undergraduates who aren’t state residents pay tuition fees of US$30,604 per year, plus mandatory student fees of $2,410. Scholarship options include the George W. Woodruff Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering, aimed at needy and deserving students who are pursuing a career in mechanical engineering, and the Provost Scholarship, which consists of tuition waivers awarded to 40 non-state resident freshmen for eight semesters.

9. The University of Tokyo

Heading to Japan, the University of Tokyo is ranked ninth in this year’s mechanical engineering ranking, achieving its highest score for employer reputation. The university conducts research and provides education in four fundamental disciplines of the subject: mechanical dynamics, material mechanics, hydrodynamics and thermodynamics.

Mechanical engineering students at the University of Tokyo pay ¥535,800 (~US$5,050) per year at all levels, and you’ll need to pay additional fees for admission and examinations. The university offers a Special Scholarship for International Students, which aims to provide research grants to high-achieving international postgraduate students. International students could also apply for Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships. You can browse more scholarships to study in Japan here.

8. Imperial College London

The next of our top mechanical engineering schools is based in the UK. Imperial College London is ranked eighth for this subject this year, achieving its strongest score for its reputation among employers.

Students of Imperial’s professionally accredited MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree pay £9,250 (~€10,400) per year if they’re a home/EU student and £29,000 (~US$32,500) per year if they’re an overseas non-EU student.

Only UK students are eligible for the Imperial Bursary, which provides financial support for students on a sliding scale based on their household income. However, all full-time undergraduates of any nationality will be considered for the President's Undergraduate Scholarships, with up to 112 scholarships of £1,000 each available in 2018-19.

You can explore more scholarships to study in the UK here.

7. University of Oxford

Also in the UK, the University of Oxford retains its position of seventh among the world’s top mechanical engineering schools. At undergraduate level, mechanical engineering can be selected as a specialization within the university’s four-year MEng in Engineering Science program.  

For the MEng, UK and EU students at Oxford pay £9,250 a year, while overseas students pay a total of £31,455 (~US$43,500) per year including the college fee.  Scholarships include the Reach Oxford Scholarship for undergraduate students from low-income countries, which awards tuition and college fees, a grant for living expenses and one return air fare per year. You can search for a scholarship based on your study level, fee status and country of residence here.

6. University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is ranked sixth in this year’s mechanical engineering ranking and achieves a very high score for its academic reputation. The university’s mechanical engineering department is celebrating its 150-year anniversary this year and continues to be a world leader in research and education.

Non-Michigan residents at the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering pay $26,630 per year at undergraduate level and $24,343 per year at graduate level. In most cases, you’ll automatically be considered for merit-based scholarships when you submit your main application, but there are also specific departmental scholarships. You can read about the College of Engineering’s scholarships here and find general information on scholarships offered by the university here.

5. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

Ranked fifth among the top mechanical engineering universities, University of California, Berkeley (UCB) receives very strong scores for employer reputation and citations per paper, the latter measuring the institution’s research impact.  

In terms of tuition fees, international students at UCB pay $45,014 per year at undergraduate level and $33,734 per year at graduate level. While these figures may seem eye-wateringly high, most of UCB’s students receive some kind of financial aid, and the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering offers scholarships such as the Alexander & Ethel Levens Mechanical Engineering Award, which awards $500 to two mechanical engineering students. Berkeley’s International Office also offers grants for international graduate students who demonstrate financial need.

4. Harvard University

Harvard University retains its position of fourth among the world’s top mechanical engineering schools, with very high scores for employer reputation and citations per paper. Mechanical engineering research work at Harvard varies from solid and fluid mechanics to diverse studies in materials, mechanical systems, and biomechanics.

Tuition fees currently stand at $44,990 per year plus fees of $3,959, and Harvard is one of the few US universities to be need-blind to all students, regardless of nationality, meaning the university won’t consider your ability to pay when deciding whether to offer you a place. More than 50 percent of students receive scholarship aid, which is designed to completely cover your demonstrated financial need.  

3. University of Cambridge

The highest-ranked UK entrant in the mechanical engineering ranking this year, the University of Cambridge achieves its best scores for employer and academic reputation. It offers a unique undergraduate MEng course which allows students to keep their options open while gaining the analytical, design and computing skills which underpin modern engineering practice.

Cambridge’s four-year MEng degree costs £9,250 (~€10,400) per year for home or EU students and £30,678 (~US$42,500) per year for overseas (non-EU) students. International students looking to study at Cambridge could check the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust, a charity which aims to make a Cambridge education accessible to outstanding students from all parts of the world, regardless of their social and economic background. You can read more about financial support at Cambridge here (undergraduate) and here (graduate).

2. Stanford University

Ranked second among the top mechanical engineering universities in the world, Stanford University receives a near-perfect score for the H-index citations indicator. Stanford’s research aims to “push the limits of the possible” with multi-disciplinary research that employs a range of methodologies: design thinking, computational simulation, control systems and multi-scale approaches.

All of Stanford’s undergraduate programs cost US$48,987 per year ($16,329 per quarter), or if you’re studying engineering at graduate level, the fees are US$52,188 per year ($17,396 per quarter). Stanford has a limited amount of financial aid available to international students, and you should request consideration for financial aid along with your main application.  

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is again ranked first in the world for mechanical engineering (and is also first for several other branches of engineering) with perfect scores for all but one of the ranking indicators. One of the original six courses offered when classes at MIT first began in 1865, mechanical engineering at MIT combines a world-class education with thorough analysis and hands-on discovery. 

Like Harvard, MIT is need-blind to all students regardless of nationality, and pledges to meet every undergraduate student’s demonstrated financial need for all four years of their degree. At graduate level, the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering provides financial assistance in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships, with the majority of students supported by research assistantships.

Other top mechanical engineering schools around the world…

 *Excluding the top 10

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