Does it cost money to become a mechanical engineer?

Ralph,

Tuition costs for a graduate degree program in engineering are determined by the type of engineering program, as well as the type of the academic institution. Public colleges, such as state universities, often have lower tuition rates than private universities. Many graduate schools also charge fees, such as application, registration and book fees, which increase the total cost of attendance. Determining average tuition costs is difficult, since rates vary greatly among institutions, and some schools even fluctuate rates per semester.

Tuition and Fee Waivers
Many schools offer graduate students a waiver on fees and may offer partial or full tuition waivers for certain students or programs. Eligibility requirements vary by school. Students should find out if they qualify for any type of waiver with the school's registrar. A few examples of waivers include:

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  University of Missouri Tuition Full semester assistantship or fellowship

  
  


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  Florida State University Tuition State or school employees, graduate assistants

  
  


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  Brown University Application fee Financial need

  
  


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  Massachusetts Institute of Technology Application fee Financial need

  
  


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  University of Central Florida Tuition Graduate teaching, full or part-time assistantship

  
  


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  University of California - Berkeley Tuition Nonresident doctoral candidates

  
  

Tuition Assistance - Grants and Fellowships
Several organizations offer grants and other types of free student aid to engineering graduate students. Some provide annual allowances or stipends, while others provide full tuition assistance. Often, students must attend schools affiliated with the granting organization, though there are some that allow a student to choose the institution they wish to attend. Some assistance examples include:

The National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship - Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, up to three years of full tuition, fees, insurance and annual stipend are covered for several engineering disciplines at any school in the country (ndseg.asee.org).

Environmental Engineers of the Future - Offering up to $10,000 in tuition assistance, students receiving the award must commit to two years of employment with the organization after graduation (www.engineeringmastersfunding.org).

National Science Foundation - Graduate students may choose among a variety of grant and fellowship opportunities, including tuition assistance and cultural research project funding (www.nsf.gov).

Society of Women Engineers - Women interested in engineering and computer science may qualify for up to $10,000 in scholarships and fellowships (societyofwomenengineers.swe.org).

Graduate Schools' Engineering Tuition Rates

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  Massachusetts Institute of Technology Private, not-for-profit $43,210

  
  


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  Stanford University Private, not-for-profit $45,480

  
  


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  University of California - Berkeley Public $11,220 (in-state); $26,322 (out-of-state)

  
  


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  California Institute of Technology Private, not-for-profit $39,990

  
  


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  Carnegie Mellon University Private, not-for-profit $40,000

  
  

More in: http://study.com/articles/Average_Tuition_Costs_for_Engineering_Graduate_School.html

Good Luck!

1.) Don't let college tuition cost scare you. You will figure it out as you get older.
2.) Don't get married and have kids too soon. Wait until you're done with college
3.) Take action. Most people are afraid and over think things. They over think how hard classes will be, how much text books will cost and how much tuition will be.
4.) Get As in all your classes now. This will get you into the habit of having a great study work ethic. It can also help you get scholarships which will save you a lot of money.

For me, I paid $35,000 in tuition only to attend the University of Michigan - Dearborn. You have to add in the cost of text books on top of that, which I can't give you an exact number for, but as a quick estimate, say $125 per book (assuming you buy new books) per class. I took 4 classes per semester, so that means $500 per semester (or $1500 per year in books). I didn't have any room and board/dorm fees.

College costs money, but the best advice is to pick the school that teaches you what you need to know to be successful at what you want to do. It will be worth the cost and all the work to get where you want to be in your career.

Hello Ralph,

Cost associated with college is going to differ depending on the program and the school you choose along with the cost of living in the school is located. There are a lot of program out there to help pay or delay the cost of school. Just to do the research.

The other option is the military and particular, just because this is my knowledge base, is the U.S. Navy as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer for the Seabees. If cost of college is a concern or you want a change of pace the military will get you there.

I do need to warn you it can be hard to qualify as you have to take and score high enough on the ASVAB exam, which a practice test can be take at a local recruiter office. Additionally there a many other requirement a person has to meet.

I did drop two official links below if you wanted more information. Good luck.

Enlisted
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/seabees/Pages/default2.aspx

Officer
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/officer/communitymanagers/StaffCorps/Pages/CivilEngineerCorps(CEC).aspx

The average annual out-of-state cost for a bachelor program in Mechanical Engineering is $38,632 with an estimated average four year degree total cost of $154,528. The most affordable bachelor program is offered by United States Air Force Academy at an annual $0 out of state total cost.

yes lots of money and time... its worth it. I am an environmental engineering going back for my masters in science in mechanical engineering mechatronics. All said and done will probably cost me 150k but the life long value of a degree like this is priceless.

Most colleges and universities are unfortunately costly. Begin by picking out schools, where you wish to apply. Inquire if you eligible for a university based scholarship, financial aid and/or EOF program. Additionally, look into local and national scholarships that may correlate to your ethnicity, past volunteer experiences, and/or other talent you can bring and use in college

I have known several students who did their first two years at a community college - get the basics out of the way at a much lower cost. Then the students were accepted at the University of Michigan engineering school - a very well respected program (note: you need to check with your school of interest to make sure they take the classes at the community college). There are a number of opportunities for summer internships for engineers (at least in the Detroit area) - several people I know got internships after their freshman year. Do your research to find out what types of engineers have the most opportunities. Chemical engineers are also in high demand and a lot of that has to do with mechanical engineering topics (fluids, thermal, etc.) in addition to the chemistry.