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

First, some facts. Of the Mechanical Engineering graduates from Old Dominion 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 30 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 81%, Mechanical Engineering graduates from Old Dominion University have a much higher likelihood (+14%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 81%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

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

× Chart

Also, after graduating, only 20% 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 a Bachelors degree is enough for most Mechanical Engineering graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

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

Relevance score: 100%

We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2015 from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Machining Process Engineer
STIHL USA
Jul 2015 - Present
The position of Machining Process Engineer at STIHL USA requires specific mechanical engineering knowledge and skills related to machining processes, which are directly applicable and essential to the Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.

ABOUT

Experienced Process/Manufacturing Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the machining industry. Skilled in Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Root Cause Analysis, 8D methodology, Six Sigma, Capital Project management, and Continuous Improvement. Strong operations professional with a Bachelor of Science focused in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University.

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

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

When looking at the jobs held by graduates of Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University, many have found roles that are closely related to their field of study. A significant number have landed positions as Mechanical Engineers, Design Engineers, and Manufacturing Engineers in various industries, especially in aerospace, defense, and automotive sectors. These roles typically involve applying mechanical engineering principles to design, analyze, and improve mechanical systems, which makes them highly relevant to their education. For instance, positions at companies like Newport News Shipbuilding or NASA show a strong connection between job responsibilities and engineering knowledge.

However, not all graduates have remained within the engineering sphere. Some have ventured into roles that don’t utilize their specific mechanical engineering expertise. For example, jobs like independent consulting or roles in hospitality and administrative tasks don’t relate back to engineering principles. Overall, while many ODU graduates are successfully applying their mechanical engineering skills in related jobs, there are quite a few who have diverged into completely different areas that don’t require any engineering background. So, the relevance of their jobs to mechanical engineering really varies widely among individuals!

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 Old Dominion University):

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

Looking at the career trajectories of Old Dominion University mechanical engineering graduates, it’s clear that many of them start off landing solid engineering positions fairly quickly after graduation. For instance, graduates from 2010 to 2013 often took on roles like mechanical engineers, analysts, or even project engineers right away, typically in industries such as defense and manufacturing. This trend continues with those who graduated in later years, where you'll see many of them securing jobs as engineers at renowned companies like Newport News Shipbuilding, NASA, and various defense contractors. It seems like for a lot of these graduates, their first job aligns closely with their mechanical engineering degree, which is a promising sign!

Fast forward five to ten years, the picture looks quite positive as well. Many of these graduates have moved up the ranks, taking on managerial roles or specialized positions within their companies. For example, those who graduated in 2010 and later often transitioned from entry-level roles to positions such as division managers or senior engineers. There are also some graduates who ventured into entrepreneurship or different fields altogether, but those are the outliers. Overall, it appears that a degree in mechanical engineering from ODU has provided these grads with a strong launching pad into successful and relevant careers. It’s a solid field with plenty of opportunities, and the graduates reflect that success pretty well over the years!

How hard is a Mechanical Engineering degree from Old Dominion University?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering is pretty challenging, and that goes for Old Dominion University, too. You're going to be hitting the books with a solid mix of math, physics, and design work, and those engineering classes can be pretty intense. You’ll need to develop strong problem-solving skills and be comfortable with some hefty coursework, including labs and projects that can stretch your time management skills. While some students may find certain parts easier than others, overall it’s designed to push you, so be ready to put in the effort if you decide to go for it!

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 Old Dominion University tend to make good money?

Looking at these Mechanical Engineering grads from Old Dominion University, it seems like most of them are doing pretty well for themselves, with a decent mix of government and private sector jobs that are known to pay well—especially in engineering. Many have climbed the ranks to managerial roles, and some have even made it to the big leagues, working at places like NASA or in high-level positions at large corporations. The pay for these roles usually ranges from solid to impressive, so it's fair to say they've generally managed to make decent money post-grad. Of course, it's a mixed bag, and there are a few who have taken on less stable paths like entrepreneurship, but overall, they seem to be on the right track!

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 Old Dominion 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