Manufacturing Engineering Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Manufacturing Engineering maps to BLS occupations averaging about $114,867, with roughly 69,280 workers nationwide in those roles. About 900 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 57%.
Key Statistics
Manufacturing Engineering: what the data shows
Common questions about manufacturing engineering degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a manufacturing engineering degree?
A Manufacturing Engineering program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1436 in the 00.0014 field family (00.14).
IPEDS counted 900 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of manufacturing engineering degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.14 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (CIP 00.1402)
- Agricultural Engineering (CIP 00.1403)
- Architectural Engineering (CIP 00.1404)
- Biochemical Engineering (CIP 00.1443)
- Biological/Biosystems Engineering (CIP 00.1445)
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering (CIP 00.1405)
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering (CIP 00.1406)
- Computer Engineering (CIP 00.1409)
- Construction Engineering (CIP 00.1433)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (CIP 00.1447)
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (CIP 00.1410)
- Electromechanical Engineering (CIP 00.1441)
- Energy Systems Engineering (CIP 00.1448)
- Engineering Chemistry (CIP 00.1444)
- Engineering Mechanics (CIP 00.1411)
- Engineering Physics (CIP 00.1412)
- Engineering Science (CIP 00.1413)
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (CIP 00.1414)
- Forest Engineering (CIP 00.1434)
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering (CIP 00.1439)
- Industrial Engineering (CIP 00.1435)
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering (CIP 00.1442)
- Metallurgical Engineering (CIP 00.1420)
- Mining and Mineral Engineering (CIP 00.1421)
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (CIP 00.1422)
- Nuclear Engineering (CIP 00.1423)
- Ocean Engineering (CIP 00.1424)
- Operations Research (CIP 00.1437)
- Paper Science and Engineering (CIP 00.1440)
- Petroleum Engineering (CIP 00.1425)
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering (CIP 00.1432)
- Surveying Engineering (CIP 00.1438)
- Systems Engineering (CIP 00.1427)
- Textile Sciences and Engineering (CIP 00.1428)
How long does it take to get a manufacturing engineering degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1436 in our file:
- 5 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in manufacturing engineering?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a manufacturing engineering degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Manufacturing Engineering to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a manufacturing engineering degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $11,132 and median net price is $16,176.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Manufacturing Engineering and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$11,132 Median In-State Public
$54,322 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Manufacturing Engineering majors are, on average, $11,132 for in-state public colleges, and $54,322 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Manufacturing Engineering programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
900 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Manufacturing Engineering from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Manufacturing Engineering.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas State University | TX | 34,547 |
| 3 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | 34,131 |
| 4 | San Diego State University | CA | 33,654 |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | 33,488 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Manufacturing Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM | $2,322 |
| 2 | Mesa Community College | AZ | $2,358 |
| 3 | Macomb Community College | MI | $3,600 |
| 4 | Clark State College | OH | $4,200 |
| 5 | Navajo Technical University | NM | $4,250 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Manufacturing Engineering programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navajo Technical University | NM | $3,307 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM | $4,621 |
| 3 | Mercer County Community College | NJ | $5,342 |
| 4 | Macomb Community College | MI | $5,725 |
| 5 | Hudson County Community College | NJ | $5,902 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Manufacturing Engineering programs.
Graduation Rates
56.95% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.64% Average Graduation Rate
144 Institutions Reporting
43.28% - 72.24% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Manufacturing Engineering programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.14 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering CIP 00.1402
- Agricultural Engineering CIP 00.1403
- Architectural Engineering CIP 00.1404
- Biochemical Engineering CIP 00.1443
- Biological/Biosystems Engineering CIP 00.1445
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering CIP 00.1405
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering CIP 00.1406
- Computer Engineering CIP 00.1409
- Construction Engineering CIP 00.1433
- Electrical and Computer Engineering CIP 00.1447
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering CIP 00.1410
- Electromechanical Engineering CIP 00.1441
- Energy Systems Engineering CIP 00.1448
- Engineering Chemistry CIP 00.1444
- Engineering Mechanics CIP 00.1411
- Engineering Physics CIP 00.1412
- Engineering Science CIP 00.1413
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering CIP 00.1414
- Forest Engineering CIP 00.1434
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering CIP 00.1439
- Industrial Engineering CIP 00.1435
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering CIP 00.1442
- Metallurgical Engineering CIP 00.1420
- Mining and Mineral Engineering CIP 00.1421
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering CIP 00.1422
- Nuclear Engineering CIP 00.1423
- Ocean Engineering CIP 00.1424
- Operations Research CIP 00.1437
- Paper Science and Engineering CIP 00.1440
- Petroleum Engineering CIP 00.1425
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering CIP 00.1432
- Surveying Engineering CIP 00.1438
- Systems Engineering CIP 00.1427
- Textile Sciences and Engineering CIP 00.1428
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1436 in the survey year used in our extract (5 total across levels below).
- 5 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $114,867. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Manufacturing Engineering graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $188,333 | 75,710 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $53,312 | 43,640 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $74,538 | 53,520 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | $58,116 | 36,880 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $131,986 | 293,930 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$136,006 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Manufacturing Engineering majors is $136,006.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Manufacturing Engineering majors.
Occupations by Share
69,280 2023 Workforce
The number of Manufacturing Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Manufacturing Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Manufacturing Engineering in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering.
Age distribution for Manufacturing Engineering degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Manufacturing Engineering degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Manufacturing Engineering degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Manufacturing Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Manufacturing Engineering.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Manufacturing Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Manufacturing Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Manufacturing Engineering majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Manufacturing Engineering majors.
About
Manufacturing Engineering
In 2023, 900 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Manufacturing Engineering.
CIP Code
00.1436 - Manufacturing Engineering
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $114,867. The largest mapped role by headcount is Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (136,390 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $11,132 in-state at public colleges and $54,322 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.