SOCORRO, N.M. – New Mexico Tech has received more accolades from the College Choice website. The 2019 rankings show the Mechanical Engineering Department ranked as the No. 26 in the nation out of the websites top 35.

The remainder of the top 35 is populated with Ivy League, Big 10, and other prominent STEM universities. 

“I think this ranking is testimony of the high performance of our faculty, both in teaching engineering science and laboratory courses, developing hands-on curriculum for students, and involving students in research,” department chair Dr. Andrei Zagrai said. “It’s very rewarding for us to see that we are ranked among the top mechanical engineering undergraduate programs in the nation.”

Zagrai said the department has put much effort into continually improving the curriculum, research opportunities, and customized degree tracks. NMT Mechanical Engineering offers minors in Aerospace, Biomedical, and Explosives engineering. The explosives minor is unique in the nation.

“The administration has been very supportive of our program as well,” Zagrai said. “And that goes hand-in-hand with faculty contributions. It’s a collaboration. The administration support has allowed us to upgrade labs, develop new facilities, and generally improve the program.”

Zagrai said an important factor in NMT’s high ranking is the intensive, two-year design clinic regimen. Design clinic projects to generate $60,000 in the 2017-2018 academic year with most of support coming from external sponsors (industry and government partners) willing to support these hands-on, team-based projects.

New Mexico Tech created the Mechanical Engineering Department in 2001 and it has grown into the largest undergrad program on campus, with more than 350 students. Mechanical Engineering Master of Science program was around for years, but recently two graduate programs were added: master’s of engineering and Ph.D. Just this year, the state Higher Education Department approved a master’s of engineering program track to fulfill the needs of industry professionals around the state.

“This ranking demonstrates that we are headed in the right direction in how we develop the department,” Zagrai said. “This testifies that we are doing the right thing and we should continue to grow.”

The College Choice website describes NMT as such:

New Mexico Tech is located in Socorro, New Mexico and specializes in technology, engineering, management, and technical communication degrees. With under 2,000 combined undergraduate and graduate students, New Mexico Tech is an ideal school for those who want the small college experience.

College Choice ranks programs based on a metric that results in its “College Choice Score.”  NMT’s score was 62.18, just behind Michigan Tech (67.72) and just ahead of the University of Florida (60.88). The top three ranked programs are Stanford (100), No. 2 M.I.T. (96.92), and No. 3 Brown University (87.59).

For the complete report on the Top 35 Mechanical Engineering Departments, click here.

The website continues with this summary of the department:

When earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering degree at New Mexico Tech you will take classes in everything from finite element analysis and design to technical writing, strength of materials, thermodynamics, and more. On top of your coursework, you’ll do plenty of hands-on applications. Some of the labs you may find yourself in include:

• Mechanics of Materials lab
• Fluid and Thermal Sciences lab
• Dynamic Systems and Controls lab
• Design Clinic
• And more

Newsweek has called New Mexico Tech “one of the best small science and engineering schools” in the country. Similarly, it has made the “Best Colleges” list by The Princeton Review. And it is praised for its affordability by The Huffington Post and Kiplinger’s.

In addition to ranking universities, the College Choice website also offers hints and tips about selecting a college degree. Regarding mechanical engineering, the website notes:

With a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering degree you are set up to work in a diverse range of industries and fields. From corporate business to government agencies, the need for someone who can design successful and economical products continues to rise.

In fact, it’s projected that demand for mechanical engineers will rise another 9 percent in the next few years.

The industry is not only stable and growing, but it’s lucrative too. Mechanical engineers make, on average, upwards of $84,000 a year. Though that number can leap into triple digits depending on the job title. Senior engineers make close to $133,000 annually.

College Choice has previously ranked other NMT programs nationally. The Petroleum Engineering Department was ranked No. 1 in the nation in March 2018. The Management Department was ranked in the top 10 for value in July 2018.

– NMT –