What can you do with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University?

First, some facts. Of the Mechanical Engineering graduates from Cornell University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:

These are estimates based on AI analysis of 21 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 79%, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Cornell University have a much higher likelihood (+12%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

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Also, after graduating, 38% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests you may need more than just a Bachelors degree to be competitive as a Mechanical Engineering graduate.

See the details:

• What jobs can you get with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University?
• What do Mechanical Engineering graduates from Cornell University do 1, 5 or 10 years out?
• How hard is a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University? How long does it take?
• How much money can you make with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University?
• What are the best colleges for Mechanical Engineering?

View a random Mechanical Engineering graduate from Cornell University and our analysis:

Relevance score: 55% We think this person has gone into a career only somewhat relevant to their degree. DEGREE INFO Graduated in 2022 from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science - BS in Mechanical Engineering. Also pursued further education since (see below). JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION Manufacturing Engineering Intern DAP Jun 2022 - Aug 2022 The Manufacturing Engineering Intern position involves skills and knowledge in mechanical engineering, directly applying principles learned during the Bachelor's degree. Intramural supervisor Cornell University Aug 2022 - Aug 2023 The role of an intramural supervisor is primarily focused on managing sports activities and does not require knowledge or skills specific to mechanical engineering. Structural Design Engineer Boeing Jul 2023 - Present As a Structural Design Engineer at Boeing, the job requires extensive application of mechanical engineering principles learned in the Bachelor's program, making it highly relevant. FURTHER DEGREES DONE SINCE GRADUATING master's of Engineering Cornell University 2022 - 2023 ABOUT I am currently a Master of Engineering candidate with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. In May 2023, I will graduate from Cornell University. Through theory and practice, I have design, development, and operational experience across three companies in three industries. I am a certified six sigma Black Belt.I am looking to secure a permanent position with a progressive and innovative company and have no industry or geographical restrictions. My interests are varied, and my experiences/skills can be applied to any commensurate position.

What jobs can you get with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:

• Mechanical Design Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Mechanical Engineering Intern
• Management Consulting Associate
• Senior Associate
• Corporate Development Associate
• Grade Research Assistant
• Equipment Breakdown Risk Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineering Intern
• Intramural supervisor

From your analysis of LinkedIn profiles of individuals who graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University, it seems most of these folks have landed jobs that are pretty closely related to their field. A large chunk of them seem to work in the aerospace and defense sectors, especially with positions in the U.S. Air Force, which really ties back to the core principles of mechanical engineering like aerodynamics and system mechanics. Many graduates also find roles as mechanical design engineers or in manufacturing engineering, which allow them to directly use the skills they learned at Cornell. Positions in companies like ASML and Tesla further emphasize the strong connection between their jobs and mechanical engineering, highlighting how their education translates into practical, real-world applications.

However, not every job listed sticks closely to mechanical engineering. Some individuals are in roles that lean more towards management, sales, or even teaching, where their engineering knowledge is helpful but not strictly necessary. For example, jobs like Vice President of Sales or roles in management consulting at PwC suggest a shift from pure engineering tasks to more business-oriented responsibilities. Overall, while a majority of the jobs align with the skills and knowledge gained from a Mechanical Engineering degree, there are definitely cases where graduates veer into unrelated areas, possibly driven by personal interests or career opportunities that leverage their analytical skills rather than their technical expertise.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Mechanical Engineering graduates (this is across all Mechanical Engineering graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Cornell University):

What kind of career trajectories do Mechanical Engineering graduates from Cornell University have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

When you look at the career paths of mechanical engineering graduates from Cornell University, it's pretty clear that most of them have taken strong professional trajectories that often remain closely tied to their engineering roots. Many graduates land solid jobs right after college that are directly related to mechanical engineering—think roles like Mechanical Design Engineer, Production Engineer, or even Aerospace Engineer. For instance, graduates from 2010 and 2011 have risen through the ranks in prestigious companies and organizations like the Air Force and various engineering firms, often transitioning into leadership roles within just a few years. In general, around the five to ten-year mark, you see them moving into senior positions, management roles, or even starting their own ventures, like in the case of a graduate who turned from founding a startup to leading a team at a tech firm.

Of course, there are some exceptions, and not every graduate follows a linear path to an engineering career. Some individuals may take a bit of a detour before landing in engineering or even venture into leadership and consulting roles that, while still valuable, may not be strictly engineering-focused. However, more often than not, these graduates seem to find success in fields that leverage their mechanical engineering backgrounds, securing positions that offer both challenges and opportunities for growth. So overall, if you’re considering Cornell's Mechanical Engineering program, you’ll likely be entering a field where most alumni are thriving in relevant careers!

How hard is a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University?

Honestly, a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University is pretty challenging, like most top engineering programs. You're diving into a lot of rough stuff—think complex math, physics, and rigorous problem-solving. The coursework can get intense, with loads of group projects, labs, and exams that will test your understanding. Plus, the workload is heavy, so you’ll really need to manage your time well. That said, if you’re passionate about engineering and are willing to put in the effort, it can be super rewarding. Just be prepared to hit the books and stay on top of your assignments—it's definitely not a walk in the park!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Do Mechanical Engineering graduates from Cornell University tend to make good money?

Looking at these Cornell mechanical engineering graduates, it seems like they've been doing pretty well for themselves overall. The ones that went into high-profile roles like pilots for the Air Force or positions at companies like Tesla and Boeing likely raked in some solid salaries, while those who climbed the ranks in tech and engineering firms also seem to be making decent money. Even the graduates who started in more entry-level positions have moved on to roles that typically pay well, suggesting growth in their careers. Of course, there’s always variation based on the specific company and location, but in general, it looks like a lot of these folks are landing in good financial positions!

What buzzwords do Mechanical Engineering graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering (this is across all Mechanical Engineering graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Cornell University). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Mechanical Engineering?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering (ordered by the average relevance score of their Mechanical Engineering graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College	Score	Count
North Dakota State University	95	20
University of Tennessee, Knoxville	94	12
University of Michigan-Dearborn	94	11
University of Minnesota	93	14
University of Illinois at Chicago	93	13
Binghamton University	93	14
University of Minnesota Duluth	93	15
Oregon Institute of Technology	93	12
Minnesota State University, Mankato	92	10
Wright State University	92	15
University of Delaware	91	24
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	91	23
University of Massachusetts Lowell	91	30
University of Maryland Baltimore County	91	19
University of Wisconsin-Platteville	91	23
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	91	11
Kettering University	91	27
The University of Alabama	90	37
University at Buffalo	90	19
University of Colorado Denver	90	12
University of North Dakota	90	10
University of North Florida	89	14
Washington University in St. Louis	89	15
University of Oklahoma	88	19
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	88	29
Lamar University	88	18
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	88	24
Iowa State University	87	65
Portland State University	87	16
UC Irvine	87	16
Oakland University	87	24
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	87	42
Texas A&M University-Kingsville	87	11
Florida International University	86	17
University of Wisconsin-Madison	86	31
San Jose State University	86	23
Temple University	86	19
Brigham Young University - Idaho	86	19
Northern Arizona University	86	20
University of Kentucky	86	24
Ferris State University	86	11
University of South Carolina-Columbia	86	13
Wentworth Institute of Technology	86	18
University of Tehran	86	10
University of Arizona	85	19
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	85	51
California State University-Sacramento	85	22
Kansas State University	85	34
Baylor University	85	22
University of Nevada, Reno	85	16
Villanova University	85	18
Michigan Technological University	85	51
University of New Orleans	85	14
Shanghai Jiao Tong University	85	10
Brigham Young University	84	40
San Diego State University	84	22
Washington State University	84	43
University of Utah	84	23
University of South Carolina	84	14
California State University, Long Beach	84	15
University of Massachusetts Amherst	84	13
University of Louisville	84	19
Utah State University	84	26
Montana State University-Bozeman	84	41
University of California, Los Angeles	83	20
Auburn University	83	26
Oregon State University	83	46
University of Pittsburgh	83	33
Northeastern University	83	43
Boise State University	83	18
The University of Kansas	83	10
University of Alabama	83	15
The University of Akron	83	36
Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis	83	12
University of Idaho	83	15
University of South Alabama	83	13
University of Toledo	83	27
Missouri University of Science and Technology	83	30
University of Portland	83	19
Clarkson University	83	33
University of Michigan College of Engineering	83	10
Penn State University	82	87
University of Florida	82	53
Michigan State University	82	42
Purdue University	82	91
North Carolina State University	82	44
Louisiana State University	82	24
University of California, Riverside	82	20
Drexel University	82	38
University of Dayton	82	36
Florida Institute of Technology	82	10
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	82	10
Arizona State University	81	38
University of Washington	81	24
University of Houston	81	46
Colorado State University	81	27
Texas Tech University	81	50
University of Cincinnati	81	23
California State University, Fullerton	81	19
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	81	30
University of Maryland	81	27
Old Dominion University	81	30
Rowan University	81	14
Rutgers University	81	12
San Diego State University-California State University	81	10
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	81	32
University of Maine	81	19
Lehigh University	81	17
Purdue University Northwest	81	13
University of Central Florida	80	72
University of South Florida	80	27
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	80	49
The University of Texas at San Antonio	80	29
The University of Texas at Arlington	80	23
West Virginia University	80	20
University of Arkansas	80	20
Georgia Southern University	80	20
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga	80	13
University of California, Merced	80	21
Arkansas Tech University	80	10
The Ohio State University	79	48
University of Missouri-Columbia	79	24
Clemson University	79	35
California State University-Long Beach	79	18
Georgia Institute of Technology	79	88
The University of Texas at Dallas	79	31
University of Maryland College Park	79	20
Mississippi State University	79	35
Cornell University	79	21
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	79	20
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale	79	12
Rochester Institute of Technology	79	42
California State University, Chico	79	10
Tennessee Technological University	79	13
Louisiana Tech University	79	13
Colorado School of Mines	79	53
Bucknell University	79	12
Valparaiso University	79	13
Lafayette College	79	14
University of California, Davis	78	32
University of Michigan	78	37
University of Colorado Boulder	78	42
Oklahoma State University	78	39
Miami University	78	14
Kennesaw State University	78	15
University of Rhode Island	78	12
The University of Texas at El Paso	78	28
University of Massachusetts, Amherst	78	14
Stanford University	78	10
University of Colorado Colorado Springs	78	10
University of Denver	78	12
Stevens Institute of Technology	78	20
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College	78	24
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani	78	13
Ohio University	77	15
University of Connecticut	77	19
UC Santa Barbara	77	13
University of California, Irvine	77	10
Eastern Washington University	77	13
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	77	34
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	77	11
Carnegie Mellon University	77	14
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	77	25
University of Georgia College of Engineering	77	11
Virginia Tech	76	35
University of Nevada-Las Vegas	76	19
University of Mississippi	76	14
University of Hawaii at Manoa	76	12
Wichita State University	76	12
Gonzaga University	76	12
University of Rochester	76	13
Prairie View A&M University	76	15
Manhattan College	76	14
Texas A&M University	75	76
University of California, Berkeley	75	17
University of Southern California	75	19
Boston University	75	16
University of New Hampshire	75	16
Bradley University	75	16
SUNY Polytechnic Institute	75	11
Florida Atlantic University	74	11
California State University, Northridge	74	11
University of Texas at Tyler	74	13
The University of Toledo	74	12
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology	74	16
Northwestern University	73	16
New Jersey Institute of Technology	73	32
The University of Texas at Austin	72	44
Milwaukee School of Engineering	72	16
Auburn University, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering	71	10
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	70	29
University of Virginia	70	20
University of Nebraska-Lincoln	70	18
University of California, San Diego	70	10
The College of New Jersey	70	10
New Mexico State University	70	18
Savitribai Phule Pune University	70	28
Florida State University	69	11
Visvesvaraya Technological University	69	13
University of Notre Dame	68	17
Tufts University	68	11
SRM University	68	11
Northern Illinois University	67	13
Vanderbilt University	66	15
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University	66	14
University of Mumbai	66	24
University of North Texas	65	10
United States Naval Academy	64	16
Rice University	63	10
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez	62	10
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University	60	16
Vellore Institute of Technology	59	18
Anna University	55	13
Osmania University	50	12
United States Military Academy at West Point	48	10