What can you do with a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of California, Irvine?

First, some facts. Of the Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of California, Irvine 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 10 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 77%, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of California, Irvine have a higher likelihood (+10%) 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, only 30% 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:

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

View a random Mechanical Engineering graduate from University of California, Irvine and our analysis:

Relevance score: 78% We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree. DEGREE INFO Graduated in 2015 from University of California, Irvine with a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Also pursued further education since (see below). JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION Mechanical Engineering Research Intern Zymo Research Corp Jun 2016 - Sep 2016 As a Mechanical Engineering Research Intern, this position directly utilizes mechanical engineering knowledge and skills obtained during the Bachelor's degree, making it highly relevant. Robotic Climbers and Grippers Intern NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Apr 2019 - Nov 2019 The role of Robotic Climbers and Grippers Intern at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory requires specific mechanical engineering expertise and skills, which are integral to the position. Graduate Teaching Associate University of California, Los Angeles Jan 2018 - Jun 2020 While being a Graduate Teaching Associate may involve some aspects of mechanical engineering, the role primarily focuses on teaching and assistance, which does not utilize the core qualifications of the Bachelor's degree significantly. Extreme Environment Robotics Intern NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jun 2021 - Oct 2021 The Extreme Environment Robotics Intern position at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory directly requires mechanical engineering knowledge and skills, making it highly relevant to the Bachelor's degree. Graduate Researcher UCLA Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) Sep 2016 - Present As a Graduate Researcher at UCLA Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa), this role directly applies mechanical engineering principles and skills developed during the Bachelor's program, making it entirely relevant. FURTHER DEGREES DONE SINCE GRADUATING Masters Degree University of California, Irvine 2015 - 2016 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) University of California, Los Angeles 2016 - 2024 ABOUT A creative, diligent, practical, resourceful, and optimistic mechanical designer that seeks to improve mechanical systems with creative solutions and passive mechanisms to make them simpler, faster, lighter, and more efficient. Meticulous and detail-oriented, with excellent written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills. Skilled at managing and coordinating with teams on complex robotic systems.I am currently a mechanical engineering PhD student in the Robotics and Mechanisms Lab (RoMeLa) at UCLA, focusing on design, robotics, and manufacturing! I specialize in the design and fabrication of mechanisms for robotic mobility and manipulation. My design methodology focuses on improving the mechanical intelligence of systems. My areas of interest include compliant mechanisms, linkages, microspines, material spooling, and lightweight manipulators. I love to learn and discover things through tinkering, iteration, and practical testing, which is how I spend lots of my spare time on personal projects.Born and raised in Pasadena, CA, I come from a loving Japanese, Chinese, and Korean American family that works closely together and draws inspiration from many aspects of life. My curiosity and sense of adventure has taken me into many activities that I am now deeply passionate about, including singing, piano, photography, LEGO, karate, camping, and a great variety of nerd things. In the future, I hope to design mechanical systems that can help improve the lives of others or advance our understanding of the world around us (or worlds beyond our own)!

What jobs can you get with a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of California, Irvine?

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

• Mechanical Engineer, Quality Control
• Software Developer
• Engineer
• Full Stack Engineer
• Administration & Capital Markets Assistant
• Sr. Analyst Margin Management
• Mechanical Engineering Research Intern
• Robotic Climbers and Grippers Intern
• Graduate Teaching Associate
• Extreme Environment Robotics Intern

Based on the LinkedIn profiles of people who graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of California, Irvine, it seems like many of them have landed jobs that are pretty closely aligned with their field. A solid number of graduates work as engineers in various capacities—like Graduate Engineers, Design Engineers, and Product Development Engineers—where they regularly apply the principles and skills they learned in school. These positions often deal with designing, testing, and developing mechanical systems, which is what mechanical engineers are trained to do. For instance, roles at companies like RBC Bearings and Applied Medical show that these grads are using their mechanical engineering expertise to make real-world applications, especially in areas like aerospace and medical technology.

However, it's also interesting to note that not all graduates ended up in positions that directly relate to mechanical engineering. Some have taken paths that lean more towards software development, analytics, or even administrative roles. For example, positions like Software Developer or Senior Analyst may use problem-solving skills from their engineering training but don’t really tap into the core mechanical engineering knowledge. This suggests that while the degree provides a strong foundation, it’s not uncommon for grads to pivot into different fields or roles that might not require heavy engineering skills daily. Overall, while many grads find relevant engineering jobs, there's also a decent number who explore other career avenues that may not utilize their mechanical engineering training as directly.

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 University of California, Irvine):

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

Overall, graduates from the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of California, Irvine tend to have a pretty solid trajectory in their careers. Many of them land their first job relatively quickly in positions that are closely related to engineering, like product development or design engineering. For instance, one graduate became a Product Development Engineer right after graduation, while another started off as a Graduate Engineer and climbed the ranks over a few years. It seems like the early career paths are quite aligned with their degree, which is a good sign since it indicates that they’re utilizing the skills and knowledge they gained during their time at UCI.

As time goes on, many of these professionals continue to advance in their engineering roles or even transition into specialized positions. In five to ten years down the line, we see graduates moving up into senior roles, such as Senior Engineer or Engineering Analyst, often at established companies in their respective fields. While there are some exceptions of individuals who shifted into non-engineering roles, like finance or administration, the majority seem to stick with engineering and tech-related jobs, contributing to various industries and often taking up leadership positions. Overall, it looks like a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCI sets up many graduates for a successful and relevant career path.

How hard is a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of California, Irvine?

Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at UC Irvine is definitely on the challenging side, but it’s totally doable if you’re willing to put in the effort. You’ll dive into some pretty intense courses like thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and materials science, which can get pretty tricky, especially if math and physics aren’t your favorite things. It’s not just about the classes, though; there are a lot of projects and teamwork involved, which can be both fun and stressful. Overall, it might be tougher than some other majors, but if you’re passionate about engineering and ready to work hard, you can totally make it through!

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 University of California, Irvine tend to make good money?

Looking at the jobs these Mechanical Engineering grads from UC Irvine have had, it seems like most of them are doing pretty well for themselves! Many of them landed solid engineering roles right after school, and some have even moved up to senior positions or transitioned into tech roles, which can pay quite well. The ones who started out in big companies like Volkswagen and Intel also suggest they've got decent salaries coming in, especially with those kinds of names on their resumes. While the pay varies depending on the specific role and industry, overall, they seem to be making a good living and progressing in their careers. So yeah, it looks like they’re in a pretty good spot financially!

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 University of California, Irvine). 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