University of Texas San Antonio MS in Mechanical Engineering: Fees, Living Costs, Test Scores, Visa Process, Work during Study, Entry Requirements.

Master of Science [M.S] [Mechanical Engineering] From University of Texas

San Antonio, TexasLocation
UniversitySchool type
Estd1968established year
40000enrollment
Public
San Antoniocampus
6.8/10

Master of Science [M.S] (Mechanical Engineering)

2 years
Full Time
On Campus

$28,134 /Yr

1 Students Applied
1 Students Admitted
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Study Abroad Team

Updated on - Nov 6, 2026

University of Texas at San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering is a full-time, on-campus master’s in San Antonio, typically completed in 1.5 to 2 years. Entry requires a relevant bachelor’s degree; the earliest open intake is June 2027, with calculated six-credit summer tuition and fees of US$9,877.84 (INR 9.33 Lakhs). That summer estimate is not a published full-degree price.

The programme combines advanced engineering mathematics with specialisation in mechanical systems, giving applicants a choice between thesis research and a non-thesis route. It suits engineering graduates who can identify a technical problem they want to investigate, because concentration and supervisor choices shape their study plan.

  • Graduate classes typically use evening slots, which makes laboratory access and research scheduling worth checking alongside the timetable.
  • Research areas include biomechanics and healthcare engineering, providing a route to apply mechanical principles beyond conventional machine design.
  • A faculty advisor must be selected within the first nine credits, encouraging an early agreement on the intended study direction.

Current Admission Status

Applications for the June 2027 intake are Open. International student deadline: 01 March 2027.

The cutoff is 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time, equivalent to 4:30 AM IST on 02 March 2027. Indian applicants need recommendations, credential evaluation and test results ready for a complete file by that cutoff.

Also Check: UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Admission

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Fees and Living Costs 2027

Summer 2027 tuition and mandatory fees are calculated at US$9,877.84 (INR 9.33 Lakhs) for six credits entirely within engineering. The calculation uses the nonresident graduate schedule, so it does not substitute the lower resident rate.

2026-27 fee basis: the first six rows describe one six-credit Summer 2027 enrolment, followed by separate application and medical-insurance charges.

Fee componentAmount, US$INR equivalent
Nonresident statutory tuition, six creditsUS$2,868.00INR 2.71 Lakhs
Graduate incremental tuition, six creditsUS$2,868.00INR 2.71 Lakhs
Board-designated tuition, six creditsUS$2,840.82INR 2.68 Lakhs
Mandatory fees, calculated component sumUS$941.80INR 88,962
Engineering differential: six credits × US$59.87 (INR 5,655)US$359.22INR 33,932
Calculated summer tuition and mandatory feesUS$9,877.84INR 9.33 Lakhs
Additional international application fee, current publishedUS$90.00INR 8,501
Additional summer medical insurance, June to August 2027US$934.00INR 88,225

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 94.4598 as of 06 November 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: UT San Antonio Summer 2027 graduate fee schedule, graduate admissions and the 2026-27 international insurance rate sheet.

The published six-credit base is US$9,518.62 (INR 8.99 Lakhs), before the engineering differential. Adding six engineering-credit charges gives the term total above; courses outside engineering can carry a different differential.

  • Six credits meet the university’s published minimum summer enrolment for new graduate F-1 students, but the advisor must confirm suitable summer courses.
  • The non-thesis route requires three more credits than the thesis route under the detailed catalogue, so the two options need separate budgets.
  • Medical insurance is separately charged unless an approved waiver applies, and the medical premium should not be treated as comprehensive arrival spending.

Full-degree tuition is not published as a fixed Summer 2027 entry price on the checked programme and fee surfaces. Verify the target fee on the official fee page.

The checked payment page does not give a Summer 2027 payment deadline, and the programme does not publish an acceptance-deposit amount. Use the issued bill for the balance and due date rather than carrying forward the Summer 2026 calendar.

Cost of Living in San Antonio for Mechanical Engineering Students

The 2026-27 off-campus graduate living estimate totals US$18,402 (INR 17.38 Lakhs) for fall and spring. The monthly figures below divide those published categories by an explicit nine-month budgeting assumption; they are calculated estimates rather than university monthly quotations.

Planning basis: the annual row extends the calculated monthly total to 12 months, without changing the university’s category proportions.

ExpenseMonthly, US$Monthly, INR equivalent
HousingUS$901.11INR 85,119
MealsUS$463.11INR 43,745
TransportUS$443.33INR 41,877
Personal expensesUS$237.11INR 22,397
Calculated monthly totalUS$2,044.67INR 1.93 Lakhs
Calculated annual total, 12 monthsUS$24,536.00INR 23.18 Lakhs

A calculated summer arrival subtotal is US$17,570.84 (INR 16.60 Lakhs): tuition and mandatory fees, three months of estimated living, medical insurance, application and visa-related fees. The calculation adds those six categories without assuming a scholarship or assistantship discount.

That subtotal excludes books, flights, credential evaluation and housing deposits, so it is not an all-in degree budget. Obtain those quotations and the remaining semester bills before setting an education-loan amount; the living estimate is neither a residence quotation nor visa proof-of-funds.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students

Key insight: The six-credit summer calculation establishes an entry-term cost, while the 30-credit and 33-credit routes require different remaining-course budgets.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Admission 2027

June 2027 entry is open, with fall and spring alternatives also listed on the programme page. The full-time campus route is the scope here; part-time enrolment does not replace the university’s published international-student enrolment requirements.

Academic eligibility: an engineering background must support the intended concentration, while foreign qualifications require a course-by-course evaluation.

RequirementPublished position and Indian-applicant implication
DegreeBachelor’s in mechanical engineering or a closely related field, with recognised foreign equivalence.
Academic thresholdGPA (grade point average) 3.0 on 4.0, approximately 60% to 70% for Indian planning only; the department may consider the final 60 semester credits.
Foreign credentialsCourse-by-course evaluation through Foreign Credential Services of America or an evaluator approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
Application documentsTranscripts, purpose statement, resume and two academic or professional recommendations.
Additional tests and experienceThe current programme checklist does not list the Graduate Record Examination, management admission tests or a minimum employment period.

The Indian percentage range is approximate, because the checked graduate requirements do not publish a mechanical-engineering-specific Indian conversion. The university makes the equivalency decision; submit the original grading key with the evaluation rather than treating a percentage as automatic eligibility.

Applicants changing disciplines face a separate prerequisite assessment, even when their evaluated grades meet the threshold. The catalogue allows remedial courses that do not count toward the degree, so request a transcript review before assuming the advertised study duration applies.

English Language Requirements

The accepted graduate routes are IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo, with scores sent through the testing organisation. IELTS means International English Language Testing System, while TOEFL means Test of English as a Foreign Language.

Published requirements for the listed 2027 intake: the TOEFL version depends on the examination date, and scores must be less than two years old.

Accepted examinationMinimum published overall score
IELTS6.5 on the nine-band scale.
TOEFL internet-based test, taken before 21 January 202679 on the legacy 0 to 120 scale.
TOEFL internet-based test, taken on or after 21 January 20264.0 on the revised 1 to 6 scale.
Duolingo English Test100 on the 160-point scale.

The current programme wording is: “For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: We require a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 4.0.”

No component minima appear in that entry, so do not invent a band-by-band equivalence between the TOEFL versions. Use the examination date to select the applicable published overall requirement.

  • Pearson’s PTE Academic is not accepted for graduate admission on the international admissions table, so an undergraduate test listing is unsuitable for this application.
  • India is absent from the graduate country-exemption list, and a medium-of-instruction certificate is not an accepted waiver document.
  • Applicants claiming a qualifying overseas-degree exemption should obtain an admissions decision on that exemption before cancelling an English-test booking.

Thesis or Non-Thesis: Which Study Plan Fits?

Thesis study requires 30 credits under the detailed catalogue, including six thesis credits, while the non-thesis plan requires 33 credits. Both include advanced engineering mathematics and concentration coursework, so the non-thesis choice still requires substantial technical preparation.

The concentrations are Materials Engineering and Mechanics, Robotics and Control and Thermal and Fluid Systems. State which problem interests you and connect it to previous engineering work; a general interest in engineering does not identify a feasible research direction.

The catalogue requires advisor selection within the first nine credits and committee formation within the first 18. Thesis candidates also face an oral defence, which makes supervisor availability and a workable project scope relevant before committing to that route.

Credit-count clarification

The programme FAQ describes a general 30-credit degree, but the official mechanical engineering degree requirements specify 33 credits for non-thesis study. Obtain your approved degree plan before committing to the corresponding course and living-cost budget.

Tip for Indian students: A related degree can trigger remedial coursework, so secure a prerequisite assessment before treating the published completion range as your personal timetable.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Application 2027

The Summer 2027 international deadline is 01 March 2027, and the complete file must arrive by the published cutoff. Fall offers a separate priority deadline, which matters when coordinating admission with engineering scholarship applications.

Announced future intakes: each cutoff below retains 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time and gives the corresponding Indian Standard Time.

Intake and stageUniversity cutoffEquivalent Indian cutoff
Summer 2027, international final01 March 2027, 5:00 PM Central Standard Time02 March 2027, 4:30 AM IST
Fall 2027, priority01 February 2027, 5:00 PM Central Standard Time02 February 2027, 4:30 AM IST
Fall 2027, international final01 June 2027, 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time02 June 2027, 3:30 AM IST
Spring 2028, international final01 October 2027, 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time02 October 2027, 3:30 AM IST
Summer 2028, international final01 March 2028, 5:00 PM Central Standard Time02 March 2028, 4:30 AM IST

The university’s Central Time cutoff controls submission; the Indian date falls the following morning because of the time difference. Summer 2027 has no published priority stage, so the Fall priority date must not be presented as a summer admission deadline.

Completed applications receive rolling review, generally within four to six weeks, rather than a fixed published decision day. The current programme checklist does not specify an interview or provide an admitted-class profile, so there is no verified interview schedule or competitive-score average.

  • Use the 2026-27 application for Summer 2027 and the separate 2027-28 application for Fall 2027, Spring 2028 or Summer 2028.
  • Request the course-by-course credential evaluation alongside transcripts, because the admissions office requires receipt by the deadline rather than proof of dispatch.
  • Ask both recommenders to address technical preparation and the proposed concentration, then monitor completion of their submissions in the application.
  • For Fall 2027 funding consideration, work toward the 01 February priority date and complete scholarship requirements separately.

The Harnek Gill and Benedict scholarships close on 01 February 2027 for the following fall and spring award period. Scholarship Hub access needs a university account, so an applicant pursuing those awards should submit admission materials early enough to obtain access.

A Summer 2027 start also needs an advisor-approved summer course plan, because international enrolment rules require six graduate credits at entry. Confirm that the courses advance the chosen concentration before paying for travel or accepting a housing contract.

Application tip: The 01 March summer deadline and 01 February engineering scholarship deadline serve different purposes; complete both processes when pursuing the later academic-year awards.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Scholarships 2027

Funding is conditional: the programme advertises teaching and research assistantships, while named scholarships have separate eligibility and application rules. The two mechanical-engineering awards below cover Fall 2027 and Spring 2028, so neither is confirmed funding for the first summer term.

Scholarship scope: award amounts are not fixed on these three listings, so no monetary reduction has been deducted from the fee budget.

AwardRelevant eligibilityRoute and published timing
Harnek S. & Malkit Gill Endowed Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering for Graduate StudentsFull-time mechanical engineering graduate students in good standing; minimum GPA 3.0 on 4.0, approximately 60% to 70% for Indian planning.Automatic consideration through the completed Scholarship Hub General Application; 01 February 2027 deadline for Fall 2027 and Spring 2028.
James V. Benedict, Ph.D., M.D. Memorial Endowed ScholarshipFull-time mechanical engineering degree students; financial need and GPA 3.0 on 4.0 are preferences, approximately 60% to 70% for Indian planning.Automatic consideration through the General Application; 01 February 2027 deadline for Fall 2027 and Spring 2028.
International Student GrantFinancial need, valid F-1 or J-1 status, international classification and full-time enrolment; graduate students must maintain the specified academic standing at UT San Antonio.Separate application with financial explanation and immigration documents; current published guidance describes a September opening for fall and spring, without a dated 2027 deadline.

The Gill and Benedict listings publish 01 February 2027 without a cutoff time or timezone. Submit before that calendar date rather than borrowing the admissions portal’s 5:00 PM cutoff; the scholarship system is a separate process.

The International Student Grant requires documents including the visa, arrival record and university immigration certificate. Those requirements make it unsuitable as an assumed pre-arrival summer award; its graduate grade condition refers to performance at UT San Antonio.

A fourth named option, the Stay Rowdy Scholarship, offers up to US$1,500 (INR 1.42 Lakhs) under current published guidance. It is invitation-based retention support for master’s students with outstanding tuition balances, so it cannot be treated as an entrance scholarship.

Assistantships and the Funding Gap

Graduate teaching and research assistantships are advertised for this programme, but the current programme page does not publish a master’s stipend or guaranteed appointment package. The university’s published doctoral funding figures should not be transferred to a mechanical engineering master’s offer.

  • Ask the proposed research advisor whether a funded appointment is available for the intended start term and whether it continues beyond that appointment.
  • Obtain the stipend, working hours, tuition treatment and insurance arrangements in writing before reducing the self-funded budget.
  • Complete Scholarship Hub requirements independently of assistantship discussions, because an academic offer does not establish a scholarship award.

Check Out: Scholarships in USA for Indian Students

Scholarship reality: The named engineering awards cover Fall 2027 and Spring 2028, so a June entrant needs a separate source for the initial summer bill.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Salary 2027

No course-cohort salary or placement report was found on the checked programme, catalogue and departmental student-resource pages. Consequently, the figures below describe the external U.S. mechanical-engineering labour market, rather than starting salaries or offer probabilities for this master’s.

External job-market benchmark: May 2025 annual gross medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cover workers across experience levels.

External market scopeAnnual median, US$INR equivalent
Mechanical engineers, U.S. occupation overallUS$104,110INR 98.34 Lakhs
Mechanical engineers in scientific research and development servicesUS$132,040INR 1.25 Crore
Mechanical engineers in transportation equipment manufacturingUS$105,560INR 99.71 Lakhs
Mechanical engineers in machinery manufacturingUS$98,620INR 93.16 Lakhs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, mechanical engineers, May 2025 wage data.

The research-services median describes an industry workforce, so a thesis does not establish access to that pay level. Inspect the official mechanical engineer wage dataset alongside actual entry-role requirements before using a salary assumption in loan calculations.

For the research route, a defined thesis project can produce evidence of engineering analysis and experimentation for technical applications or doctoral study. Ask the advisor what work you would own and present, since a general department research area does not establish a student project.

The department’s graduate network shares assistantship, scholarship and job announcements, giving students a concrete channel for opportunities after enrolment. It is not an employer or placement report, so ask the department for recent master’s destinations and internship access in the chosen concentration.

Take-home pay depends on tax residency and withholding; consult the Internal Revenue Service withholding guidance and estimator before treating gross pay as spendable income. Check whether the estimator applies to your tax status before using its result.

Is the Mechanical Engineering Master’s Worth the Cost?

The calculated summer arrival subtotal is US$17,570.84 (INR 16.60 Lakhs), while a complete degree price and course-level salary evidence remain unconfirmed. That combination supports a funding-and-project decision rather than a numerical repayment forecast.

  • The 30-credit thesis and 33-credit non-thesis plans create different remaining tuition exposure, so obtain a semester plan before requesting the final loan sanction.
  • The six-credit engineering summer bill alone is US$9,877.84 (INR 9.33 Lakhs), so fund entry without counting an unawarded assistantship.
  • The external national median of US$104,110 (INR 98.34 Lakhs) includes experienced workers, so seek entry-role pay evidence before estimating debt repayments.
  • The standard post-completion work window is 12 months, with a conditional 24-month extension, so confirm programme-code eligibility before financing a longer United States job search.
ROI reality: For an India-return plan, test affordability against actual Indian job offers, because the external U.S. wage medians cannot establish rupee-denominated repayment capacity.

USA Visa for UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Students 2027

The campus master’s uses F-1 student status, supported by the university-issued Form I-20 certificate and financial evidence. The cached published visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,475), plus US$350 (INR 33,061) for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. These charges are included in the summer arrival subtotal, but do not replace the university’s financial-certification requirement.

  • Optional Practical Training allows up to 12 months of authorised degree-related work after completion, so employment must fit the mechanical engineering qualification.
  • A further 24-month science, technology, engineering and mathematics extension is conditional, so confirm the issued programme code and employer requirements before assuming three years.
  • Employer-sponsored H-1B work requires the applicable higher actual or prevailing wage rather than one national salary threshold, and this degree creates no fixed permanent-residence timeline.
  • An F-2 spouse or child dependant needs separate documentation and cannot work, so a family budget must not rely on that spouse’s earnings.

Read More: USA Student Visa Process for Indian Applicants

Visa reality: UT San Antonio requires six graduate credits for new summer F-1 students, so confirm an eligible course schedule before committing to June entry.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering Ranking 2027

UT San Antonio appears in the 301 to 400 global engineering band in the Times Higher Education subject ranking’s 2026 edition. This discipline-level result includes mechanical engineering, but does not rank the individual master’s or its thesis and non-thesis routes.

Ranking scope: the publisher’s 2026 U.S. engineering table reports the following positions.

Ranking editionPositionScope
Times Higher Education Engineering 2026301 to 400 globallyEngineering discipline.
Times Higher Education U.S. Engineering 2026Joint 73rd nationallyU.S. institutions within the same subject ranking.

The discipline ranking provides context for the engineering environment, while supervisor fit and the approved degree plan determine the individual study proposition. For a thesis applicant, identify a suitable research group before using the ranking as a reason to accept an offer.

Also Check: UT San Antonio Subject Rankings

Honest take: The 2026 engineering band is subject-level evidence; use it alongside a confirmed mechanical engineering advisor and project rather than as an employment forecast.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering fits graduates with the engineering preparation to pursue a defined concentration and, for thesis study, a feasible supervised problem. The thesis and non-thesis choices offer different academic routes, but their credit requirements and funding exposure need separate budgets. Summer entry adds a distinct financing tradeoff because the named engineering scholarships cover the later fall and spring period. Secure a prerequisite assessment and summer course plan, then complete the admission file by 01 March 2027.

UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering FAQs

Ques. Is UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering affordable without an assistantship?

Ans. The calculated summer arrival subtotal is US$17,570.84 (INR 16.60 Lakhs), with books, flights, credential evaluation and deposits still excluded. Because the master’s has no published guaranteed assistantship package, obtain the remaining semester budget before deciding how much debt to accept. Do not subtract the invitation-based Stay Rowdy award from an entry budget.

Ques. Can someone without a mechanical engineering bachelor’s enter this master’s?

Ans. A closely related engineering degree can be considered, but the department assesses preparation and may assign remedial courses outside the degree credits. Send the transcript and intended concentration for assessment before using the advertised completion range in a financial plan. Professional exposure to engineering alone does not establish academic equivalence.

Ques. Should an Indian applicant choose Summer or Fall 2027?

Ans. Choose summer only after confirming six suitable entry credits and funding for the initial term. Fall has a 01 February 2027 priority stage, while the two named engineering scholarships also close that date for fall and spring support. The shared date makes earlier admission preparation useful, but the scholarship application remains separate.

Ques. Are GRE and PTE scores needed for UT San Antonio MS Mechanical Engineering?

Ans. The current programme checklist does not list the Graduate Record Examination, and graduate admissions does not accept PTE Academic. Use an accepted English-test route or obtain approval for a qualifying exemption instead of relying on an undergraduate test list. The published English minima are eligibility thresholds, with no course-specific admitted-class average available.

Ques. Does the U.S. salary benchmark show how quickly this degree repays its cost?

Ans. No, because the wage table covers U.S. mechanical engineers across experience levels and the university has not published a course-cohort salary report. A useful repayment calculation needs the complete degree cost, actual job offer, tax treatment and job-search spending. For an India-return plan, replace the U.S. benchmark with the Indian salary offer and the rupee loan repayment schedule.


Tuition Fees

Year1st Year Fees
Tuition Fees$28134

Other Expenses

HeadAvg Cost Per Year
Housing$8110
Food Cost$4168

Previous Year Tuition Fees

Year1st Year Fees
2024$9906

Ranking

202620252024202320222021202020192018

Collegedunia Study Abroad logo

Times Higher Education logo
Engineering 301 out of 1252 in Global Ranking
( #37 out of 141 in USA 2026)

Do you think the Rankings are wrong ?  Report Here


Career and Placement after Course

Finishing the MS in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas San Antonio may find opportunities such as:

  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Thermal Systems Engineer
  • Fluid Mechanics Engineer
  • Materials Engineer
  • Structural Engineer
  • Automotive Engineer
  • Aerospace Engineer
  • Manufacturing Engineer
  • Robotics Engineer
  • Renewable Energy Engineer, etc.


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