Automotive Engineering courses prepare students to design and test vehicles and their components. Graduates of the program will have a wide range of automotive skills in mechanical engineering, chassis design, future mobility concepts, and management in a global setting.
Undoubtedly, the recent world revolves around engineering, with automobiles being one of the significant discoveries in the field. Without going into fact checks and data, we can stand by the statement that automotive engineering is one of the most in-demand industries.
Nevertheless, most universities worldwide offer automotive engineering as one of the concentrations for a master's of mechanical engineering. In the US, few universities also provide a specialization program in Automotive Engineering.
Automotive Engineering in the United States ranges from specialization and significant programs in bachelor’s and master’s degrees to postgraduate diplomas and research degrees. Some institutions also have short-term certificate-level courses, but they have focused on a specific part of the whole program.
Graduates of the Automotive engineering program find careers in the automotive sector as manufacturing engineers, design engineers, research engineers, test engineers, and so on. The average salary of an automotive engineer in the United States is about $80,000 annually.
Top Universities in the USA for Automotive Engineering: Global Ranking
There are already very few universities in the world offering degree programs in Automotive engineering, and the USA alone has some of the top-ranked universities among them.
Below is the list of the best universities in the United States by Edurank based on research performance in Automotive Engineering.
|
Universities |
Location |
|
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Michigan |
|
University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Wisconsin |
|
Ohio State University |
Ohio |
|
Texas A&M University - College Station |
Texas |
|
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
Virginia |
|
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Georgia |
|
Purdue University |
Indiana |
|
Wayne State University |
Michigan |
|
Pennsylvania State University |
Pennsylvania |
|
Clemson University |
South Carolina |
|
Talk to an ExpertBachelor of Automotive Engineering in the USA: Tuition fees
Very few universities in the USA offer undergraduate courses in automotive engineering. It is generally offered as a Bachelor of Science in engineering, specialising in automotive engineering.
Bachelor's degrees in automotive engineering usually run for 4 years full-time. The annual tuition fee for the program ranges from $30,000 to $40,000 in the US.
Bachelor in Automotive Engineering US Cost and Duration:
|
Universities/Colleges |
Courses |
Tuition fees per annum |
Duration/Credits |
|
Texas A&M University - College Station |
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary engineering with a Specialization in Automotive Engineering |
$40,896 |
4 years (128 credit hours) |
|
Ohio State University |
BS in Mechanical Engineering with a major in Advanced Automotive Systems |
$37,947 |
4 years (130 credit hours) |
|
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering – Automotive Major |
$30,867 |
4 years |
|
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering-Automotive |
$31,370 |
129 credit hours |
|
Pennsylvania State University |
B.S in Mechanical Engineering with Technical Specialization in Vehicle Engineering |
$37,946 |
4 years |
Bachelors in Automotive Engineering in the USA: Documents Checklist and Entry Requirements
Document checklist
- Application fees
- Academic documents of high school diploma and class 10 (this includes official transcripts, provisional and character certificates)
- English test score
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letter of Recommendation (if asked)
- Passport
- CV
- Proof of Scholarships, if any
- ACT/SAT Scores (if asked)
Academic Requirement:
- Completion of 12 years of education or equivalent
English Language Requirement:
- IELTS: An overall band score of 6.0
- TOEFL: An overall score of 80
- DUOLINGO: A minimum score of 95
Masters of Automotive Engineering in the USA: Tuition Fees
A Master of Automotive Engineering is offered in the USA as a Master of Science or Master of Engineering. The course duration is generally 1 to 2 years full-time, and the non-resident tuition fee ranges from $25,000 to $49,000 per annum.
Masters in Automotive Engineering US Cost and Duration:
|
Universities/Colleges |
Courses |
Tuition fees per annum |
Duration/Credits |
|
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Automotive Engineering |
$25,530 |
1-2 years full-time or 2.5 years part-time (30 credits) |
|
University of Wisconsin - Madison |
M.S in Mechanical Engineering: Automotive Engineering |
$25,504 |
12 months |
|
Ohio State University |
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Automotive Systems and Mobility Master |
$42,253 |
30 Credits |
|
Purdue University |
Master of Science in Engineering with a concentration in Integrated Vehicle System Engineering |
$43,770 (Total Course Fee) ($1459 per credit) |
30 Credits |
|
Wayne State University |
Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering (M.S.) |
$49,209 (Total Course Fee) ($1,640.32 per credit) |
30 Credits |
|
Clemson University |
Automotive Engineering (M.S.) |
$31,620 ($15,810*2) |
33 Credits |
Masters in Automotive Engineering in the USA: Documents Checklist and Entry Requirements
Document checklist
- Academic documents of high school diploma and class 10 (this includes official transcripts, provisional and character certificates)
- English test score
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letter of Recommendation (if asked)
- Passport
- CV
- Proof of Scholarships if any
- GRE Scores (if asked)
Academic Requirement:
- A Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, engineering, physical or natural science or a related discipline from an accredited institution
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- Most universities require a GRE score
In addition to academic qualifications, some universities require full-time experience in the related field.
English Language Requirement:
- IELTS: An overall band score of at least 6.5
- TOEFL: An overall score of at least 80-90
- DUOLINGO: A minimum score of 105
PhD in Automotive Engineering in the USA: Tuition Fees
Very few universities in the USA offer a doctoral program in automotive engineering. The course duration for a doctoral program is generally 2 to 4 years. The tuition fee for a doctoral program ranges from $30,000 to $42,000 per year.
PhD in Automotive Engineering US Cost and Duration:
|
Universities/ Colleges |
Courses |
Tuition fees per annum |
Duration |
||
|
Ohio State University |
PhD in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Automotive Systems and Mobility Master |
|
50 Credit hours |
||
|
Clemson University |
Automotive Engineering PhD. |
$31,620 ($15,810*2) |
30 Credit hours |
PhD in Automotive Engineering in the USA: Documents Checklist and Entry Requirements
Document checklist
- Application fees
- Academic documents of high school diploma and class 10 (this includes official transcripts, provisional and character certificates)
- English test score
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letter of Recommendation (if asked)
- Passport
- CV
- Proof of Scholarships if any
- GRE Scores (if asked)
Academic Requirement:
- A Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, engineering, physical or natural science or a related discipline from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 to 3.2 in a 4.0 scale
- A master of science degree in a related field
- Most universities require a GRE score
In addition to academic qualifications, some universities require full-time experience in a related field.
English Language Requirement:
- An IELTS score of 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each band
- A TOEFL score of 90 to 100 overall and at least 20 in each section
- A DET (Duolingo English test) score of 120
Top Automotive Engineering Universities in the USA: Scholarships
Several scholarships are available for international students in US universities to apply for. Departmental scholarships are available in addition to university scholarships. There are also several external scholarships available.
The table below lists some of the university-funded scholarships available at various universities:
|
University |
Scholarships |
Amount |
|
University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Albert A. Ebling Memorial Scholarship (FISC) |
N/A |
|
Ohio State University |
Maximus, Provost and Trustees Scholarship |
$1,000–$3,000 ($4,000–$12,000 four-year value) |
|
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Provost Scholarship |
up to eight semesters of enrollment in an amount equal to the non-resident portion of tuition charges |
|
Illinois Institute of Technology |
Merit Scholarships |
Starting at $10,000 annually |
|
University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign |
Stamps Scholarship |
Up to the cost of attendance |
|
Top Automotive Engineering Universities in the USA: Scope and Job Opportunities
Along with the advancement in emissions and CAFÉ standards, the scope for degrees in automotive engineering is pretty high in all sectors-powertrain, vehicle dynamics, design, manufacturing, and electronics.
Moreover, many famous and top automobile manufacturing companies in the USA, such as GMC, Tesla Inc, Ford Motor, and Toyota. Therefore, students, after completing their Bachelor's or Masters's in Automotive Engineering in the US, can find employment opportunities more vividly.
The following table shows the common careers after a degree in Automotive Engineering in the USA.
|
Job Title |
Range |
Average |
|
Mechanical Engineer |
$65,000 - $124,000 |
$87,812 |
|
Project Engineer |
$52,000 - $83,000 |
$66,665 |
|
Control Systems Engineer |
$69,000 - $120,000 |
$90,600 |
|
Design Engineer |
$59,000 - $103,000 |
$75,235 |
|
Test Engineer |
$71,000 - $129,000 |
$94,612 |
|
Powertrain Control Systems & Software Engineer |
$71,000 - $104,000 |
$86,359 |
|
Service Engineer |
$66,000 - $119,000 |
$89,164 |
|
Senior Technical Consultant |
$62,000 - $118,000 |
$86,766 |
