Mechanical Engineering

University of Michigan

Department: Mechanical Engineering
Degree: PhD
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Stipend

$29,192 Estimated

University-wide minimum, not confirmed for this department · Pay period not stated by source · 2025-2026 · GEO contract under renegotiation · Underlying university-wide figure is estimated

Estimated: our estimate, not a published figure · Source: U-M HR: 2025-26 GSA salary memo · Verified 2026-10-17

Cost of living in Ann Arbor, MI

City-median rent is a city-level figure, not a near-campus price; university graduate housing lines are the university's own published rates. Each line is labeled with its own source.

Rent, 1-bedroom (university graduate housing, single occupant) $1,277 to $1,445/mo Official 1-bedroom. 2026-27, Regents-approved. Utilities included. Source: Michigan Housing: Graduate Room or Apartment Rates · Verified 2026-09-29
Rent, 1-bedroom (city median) $1,349/mo Estimated City median 1BR Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (university graduate housing, shared, per person) $861 to $1,486/mo Official Northwood 2-bedroom shared, per person: $861-$959; Munger suite $1,329-$1,486. 2026-27, Regents-approved. Utilities included. Northwood has about 1,100 units. Source: Michigan Housing: Graduate Room or Apartment Rates · Verified 2026-09-29
Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (city median) $950/mo Estimated City median 2BR, split two ways Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Utilities $199/mo Crowdsourced Basic utilities (electricity, heating, cooling, water, garbage). 85 m2 apartment, excludes internet; overstates a studio. Source: Numbeo (Americas table, Sept 27 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Public transit $45/mo Estimated TheRide 30-day pass. Secondary source. Source: Ann Arbor Observer: TheRide · Verified 2026-09-27
Public transit Free with student ID Official TheRide free with MCard (MRide) Source: U-M Logistics, Transportation & Parking: rider guide · Verified 2026-09-27
Parking $96 to $188/yr Official Student Orange permit $96 (remote lots); Student Yellow $188. FY27 (Jul 1 2026 to Jun 30 2027). Graduate students are eligible for Orange (North, Ross Athletic and West Side lots, short shuttle ride to central campus) and Yellow. Yellow with After Hours is $268 and After Hours alone is $78. Prices prorate by purchase date. Source: U-M Logistics, Transportation & Parking: FY27 permit rates · Verified 2026-09-28
Groceries Not yet available

About this department

Summaries are paraphrased from the department's own pages. Individual faculty are not listed here; use the official directory.

Department Department of Mechanical Engineering Official Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
Degrees offered
- PhD
- MSE
- Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies (SUGS, for U-M undergraduates)
- JI-SUGS (Joint Institute sequential program)
Official
Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
Overview A large department with about 468 graduate students from 24 countries. It hosts four research centers: the Automotive Research Center, the NSF Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems, the GM/U-M Institute of Automotive Research and Education, and the SM Wu Manufacturing Research Center. Official Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
Research areas
- Automotive and future transportation
- Biomechanics and biosystems engineering
- Controls
- Design
- Dynamics and vibrations
- Energy
- Fluids
- Manufacturing
- Mechanics and materials
- Mechatronics and robotics
- Micro/nano engineering
- Multi-scale computation
- Thermal sciences
Official
Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
Faculty Faculty directory (official) Official Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
PhD funding (department statement) The department describes its PhD program as fully funded. PhD students are offered a full funding package: usually 4 years entering with a relevant master's or 5 years entering with a bachelor's, covering stipend, tuition and registration fees and health and dental benefits, as a fellowship, GSRA, GSI or GSSA. Master's students, by contrast, are expected to secure their own financial support. Official Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
PhD application deadline December 1 (Fall start; applications open in early September) Official Deadlines vary by department. This date is for Department of Mechanical Engineering. Confirm on the official admissions page. Page does not state the cycle year, and its fee and GRE notes name past cycles; confirm before publishing. Applications slightly after December 1 are still reviewed, at lower priority. External applicants are admitted for Fall only. Decisions mid-March through April. Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
GRE policy GRE not required for the PhD; scores are not used in review Official Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09
Application requirements
- Online application through the Rackham Graduate School
- statement of purpose (about 1-3 pages)
- personal statement
- scanned official transcripts (official copies after admission)
- TOEFL or IELTS for non-native English speakers (TOEFL iBT minimum 84)
- international admits submit financial documents after admission
Official
Source: me.engin.umich.edu · Verified 2026-10-09

Master's tuition

Published tuition (before any aid). PhD students usually have tuition waived; their offer letter confirms. This is not part of the stipend-versus-cost-of-living comparison.

Engineering graduate - Pre-candidate (Ann Arbor) (in-state) $18,065/semester Estimated 2026-2027. Per term. Includes mandatory fees. Not confirmed for this department: this is the school-wide graduate rate. Source: Michigan Provost FY2027 Tuition and Fees Schedule (Fall 2026 column) · Verified 2026-09-30
Engineering graduate - Pre-candidate (Ann Arbor) (out-of-state) $33,714/semester Estimated 2026-2027. Per term. Includes mandatory fees. Not confirmed for this department: this is the school-wide graduate rate. Source: Michigan Provost FY2027 Tuition and Fees Schedule (Fall 2026 column) · Verified 2026-09-30
Engineering graduate - Professional (Ann Arbor) (in-state) $18,555/semester Estimated 2026-2027. Per term; full-time credit basis not stated in the table. Includes mandatory fees. Not confirmed for this department: this is the school-wide graduate rate. Source: Michigan Provost FY2027 Tuition and Fees Schedule (Fall 2026 column) · Verified 2026-10-03
Engineering graduate - Professional (Ann Arbor) (out-of-state) $34,266/semester Estimated 2026-2027. Per term. Includes mandatory fees. Not confirmed for this department: this is the school-wide graduate rate. Source: Michigan Provost FY2027 Tuition and Fees Schedule (Fall 2026 column) · Verified 2026-10-03