Just throwing this out there for my nephew who is getting a late start on the search. Like so many other students, he picked a school and assumes he’ll get in. When he told me that, I checked their common data set and he looks like a shoe-in but as we all know…anyways, the school is MassMaritimeAcademy. Honestly, I was very surprised when I saw the necessary stats and acceptance rate. In our neck of the woods, this is considered a premier school for diesel and marine mechanics and I thought it would be much more difficult. And the price is right
So, save me a minute or 60. He wants mechanical engineering, has between a 3.0 and 3.5, and parents make about $120K/year so I assume full pay nearly everywhere. He won’t have his SAT scores until August (took in June) but he’s a decent student so lets assume 1200 or so (and he says it was sooo easy). Right now he has no preference in size but somewhere near the East Coast would be good, and maybe a bit inland, so PA and IL ?
Anyone have anything off the top of their head? I offered URI as a safety and UIUC as a reach but I didn’t do much research at all, just pulled up rankings and then looked at common data. I’m going to say the budget is $40,000 all in.
Is he interested in Marine Engineering specifically? There aren’t tons of them… my niece (US citizen just graduated from one in Australia, although it was not just the major that sent her there). Anyway, Texas A&M Galveston and University of New Orleans are a couple with good programs. Not east coast, but closer than Australia. I didn’t check the costs, though.
Clarkson could be excellent for this type of student, though some combination of merit scholarship recognition/need-based aid would be needed in order to make budget. Their average SAT is 1190.
University at Buffalo is strong in engineering and would come in under budget outright.
Looks like UBuffalo, Texas A&M Galveston and Maine Maritime might be contenders. I know many kids consider Mass Maritime and Maine Maritime similar. I’m having a hard time finding which schools are ABET accredited though. I’m also afraid my nephew and family don’t think that is important. D’s boyfriend was initially interested in the Maritime Academies but felt that it was too restrictive in the education. His thought is that if half way through school you are not enjoying it, its hard to transfer the credits. He also said that he knows several persons who graduated, took fantastic paying jobs (Mass Maritime graduates are generally offered 6 figure jobs before graduation) but hated it after a few years and were not well educated for other jobs…can anyone speak to that?
My father is a mechanical engineer who did not earn a college degree but learned his trade in the Navy. He has been provided with multiple job opportunities and currently works at a large shipyard (Makes upward of 90K with no degree) Anyone with a college degree is a very valuable asset to these places whether it is in business or engineering. Your nephew would be absolutely fine, and Maine Maritime is a wonderful school that would work as an additional opportunity.
The USMMA and the state maritime academies in CA and NY have ABET-accredited mechanical engineering. The ones in ME and NY have ABET-accredited naval architecture / marine engineering.
Note that the one in MA does not have any ABET accredited majors, although it is seeking ABET accreditation in energy systems engineering.
Note that there is also a more specialized major of naval architecture / marine engineering offered at a few schools. Unfortunately the ABET search for this major appears to be broken, and returns many schools which do not have this major.
@lynkel, yes the service does provide the experience for an engineering career. My son will be separating from the USAF the end of this month after serving 8 years and has had several 6-figure contract offers in systems engineering, one of which he has signed. He was originally working towards his Business IT bachelors but has committed to backtracking a few semesters to earn his engineering degree. I couldn’t be more pleased with the direction his military background has provided.
