28 Best Mechanical Engineering schools in Virginia

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 1.21M citations received by 51.3K academic papers made by 28 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: 57%
Average SAT: 1330
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 69%

2. University of Virginia

Charlottesville

For Mechanical Engineering

#49 in the United States

#56 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 44%

3. George Mason University

Fairfax

For Mechanical Engineering

#103 in the United States

#123 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1240
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 80%

4. Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

For Mechanical Engineering

#131 in the United States

#157 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 100%

5. Marymount University

Arlington

For Mechanical Engineering

#146 in the United States

#173 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Net Price: $28,147
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $28,003

6. Old Dominion University

Norfolk

For Mechanical Engineering

#153 in the United States

#181 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 94%

7. College of William and Mary

Williamsburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#185 in the United States

#215 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Average SAT: 1438
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 54%

8. James Madison University

Harrisonburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#297 in the United States

#336 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 89%

9. University of Richmond

Richmond

For Mechanical Engineering

#343 in the United States

#385 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $35,263

10. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

For Mechanical Engineering

#393 in the United States

#440 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 1,235
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1973

11. Hampton University

Hampton

For Mechanical Engineering

#458 in the United States

#510 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1042
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $28,576

12. Norfolk State University

Norfolk

For Mechanical Engineering

#491 in the United States

#544 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 970
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 97%

13. Washington and Lee University

Lexington

For Mechanical Engineering

#570 in the United States

#626 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $24,667

14. Christopher Newport University

Newport News

For Mechanical Engineering

#599 in the United States

#658 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 77%

15. University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#608 in the United States

#667 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 99%

16. Radford University

Radford

For Mechanical Engineering

#622 in the United States

#681 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

17. Virginia State University

Petersburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#641 in the United States

#700 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 925
Average ACT: 17
Receiving Aid: 92%

18. Stratford University

Fairfax

For Mechanical Engineering

#648 in the United States

#707 in North America

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

19. Liberty University

Lynchburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#667 in the United States

#729 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $29,692
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $12,023

20. Virginia Military Institute

Lexington

For Mechanical Engineering

#703 in the United States

#766 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 89%

21. Regent University

Virginia Beach

For Mechanical Engineering

#716 in the United States

#779 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $18,314

22. University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#726 in the United States

#789 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1105
Net Price: $22,921
Receiving Aid: 100%

23. Emory & Henry College

Emory

For Mechanical Engineering

#743 in the United States

#807 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $21,714

24. Longwood University

Farmville

For Mechanical Engineering

#774 in the United States

#840 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 100%

25. Shenandoah University

Winchester

For Mechanical Engineering

#810 in the United States

#876 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $26,400
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,100

26. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

For Mechanical Engineering

#814 in the United States

#880 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1145
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $29,578

27. Randolph-Macon College

Ashland

For Mechanical Engineering

#860 in the United States

#927 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $29,058

28. Roanoke College

Salem

For Mechanical Engineering

#962 in the United States

#1033 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1180
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $27,695

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	58
Tennessee	24	52
Georgia	29	8
Indiana	24	11
New York	102	9
Connecticut	19	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	10
Missouri	21	51
Maine	8	191
Arkansas	11	136
Iowa	10	40
Louisiana	16	62
Minnesota	20	19
Kansas	9	101
Oklahoma	11	93
Nebraska	7	81
South Dakota	6	304
Texas	58	15
North Dakota	4	193
Colorado	15	47
New Mexico	5	98
Puerto Rico	7	284
Montana	3	187
Utah	7	44
Arizona	5	41
Idaho	4	163
Washington	19	7
Oregon	15	84
California	87	2
Alaska	3	219
Hawaii	4	127