29 Best Mechanical Engineering schools in Virginia

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Virginia ranked based on their research performance in Mechanical Engineering. A graph of 1.28M citations received by 52.1K academic papers made by 29 universities in Virginia was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#32 in the United States

#35 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 67%

2. University of Virginia

Charlottesville

For Mechanical Engineering

#49 in the United States

#56 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1475
Average ACT: 34
Receiving Aid: 57%

3. George Mason University

Fairfax

For Mechanical Engineering

#103 in the United States

#123 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 79%

4. Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

For Mechanical Engineering

#131 in the United States

#157 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1140
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 92%

5. Marymount University

Arlington

For Mechanical Engineering

#147 in the United States

#174 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $31,989
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $26,069

6. Old Dominion University

Norfolk

For Mechanical Engineering

#153 in the United States

#181 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 94%

7. College of William and Mary

Williamsburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#189 in the United States

#219 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Average SAT: 1465
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 55%

8. James Madison University

Harrisonburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#299 in the United States

#338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 58%

9. University of Richmond

Richmond

For Mechanical Engineering

#341 in the United States

#383 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $30,037

10. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

For Mechanical Engineering

#395 in the United States

#442 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 1,216
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1973

11. Hampton University

Hampton

For Mechanical Engineering

#460 in the United States

#512 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 940
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $27,428

12. Norfolk State University

Norfolk

For Mechanical Engineering

#496 in the United States

#549 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 927
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 94%

13. Washington and Lee University

Lexington

For Mechanical Engineering

#578 in the United States

#634 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,055

14. Christopher Newport University

Newport News

For Mechanical Engineering

#600 in the United States

#658 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1175
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 78%

15. University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#611 in the United States

#670 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 99%

16. Radford University

Radford

For Mechanical Engineering

#623 in the United States

#682 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1050
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

17. Virginia State University

Petersburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#642 in the United States

#701 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 17
Receiving Aid: 92%

18. Stratford University

Fairfax

For Mechanical Engineering

#646 in the United States

#706 in North America

Net Price: $23,243
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $4,605
Enrollment: 1,947

19. Liberty University

Lynchburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#648 in the United States

#710 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $29,532
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,489

20. Virginia Military Institute

Lexington

For Mechanical Engineering

#705 in the United States

#768 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 96%

21. Regent University

Virginia Beach

For Mechanical Engineering

#716 in the United States

#780 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,512

22. University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#727 in the United States

#791 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1105
Net Price: $23,845
Receiving Aid: 100%

23. Emory & Henry College

Emory

For Mechanical Engineering

#751 in the United States

#817 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1137
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $21,446

24. Longwood University

Farmville

For Mechanical Engineering

#762 in the United States

#828 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

25. Shenandoah University

Winchester

For Mechanical Engineering

#814 in the United States

#880 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $27,181
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,747

26. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

For Mechanical Engineering

#816 in the United States

#882 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1140
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $29,717

27. Randolph-Macon College

Ashland

For Mechanical Engineering

#861 in the United States

#928 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $28,912

28. Roanoke College

Salem

For Mechanical Engineering

#960 in the United States

#1031 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $26,044

29. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Blacksburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#997 in the United States

#1068 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 2,617
Male:Female: 40:60

Closest to Virginia states to learn Mechanical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
West Virginia	9	105
District of Columbia	8	107
North Carolina	27	38
Maryland	22	13
Pennsylvania	72	12
South Carolina	16	74
Ohio	38	14
New Jersey	20	22
Kentucky	15	59
Tennessee	24	52
Georgia	28	8
Indiana	24	10
New York	103	9
Connecticut	18	28
Rhode Island	7	65
Massachusetts	48	1
Alabama	17	90
Vermont	4	150
Illinois	45	6
Michigan	24	5
New Hampshire	8	108
Florida	33	26
Mississippi	7	123
Wisconsin	23	11
Missouri	21	51
Maine	8	191
Arkansas	12	135
Iowa	10	40
Louisiana	16	61
Minnesota	21	20
Kansas	9	101
Oklahoma	11	93
Nebraska	7	81
South Dakota	6	298
Texas	59	15
North Dakota	4	190
Colorado	15	46
New Mexico	6	100
Puerto Rico	7	283
Montana	3	188
Utah	7	44
Arizona	6	42
Idaho	4	163
Washington	20	7
Oregon	15	84
California	87	2
Alaska	3	220
Hawaii	4	126