Best Mechatronics Bachelor's Programs in Oregon, Ranked (2026)

The best mechatronics bachelor's program in Oregon, ranked

Oregon Tech is the only Oregon institution with a mechatronics-aligned engineering BS. The dual-major structure (Robotics paired with BSEE, BSME, or BSREE) is unusual but gives you both the broad engineering credential and the mechatronics-and-robotics specialization in a single 4-year program.

Why Oregon is one of the top US states for a mechatronics engineering career

Oregon engineering wages run in the top US quintile because Silicon Forest pays well above national median. Intel Hillsboro is the company's largest US site by employment with 22,000+ employees. Lam Research is the dominant US semiconductor wafer-processing equipment manufacturer with significant Hillsboro and Tualatin operations. Applied Materials, Qorvo, Tektronix, plus dozens of supplier and equipment firms add depth. For mechatronics-trained engineers specifically, the Silicon Forest market hires across equipment integration, fab automation, process engineering, and field-service engineering. Starting salaries at the major firms typically run $75,000-$95,000 with sign-on bonuses, equity, and shift differentials.

Beyond Silicon Forest, Oregon has Boeing Portland (composites and fabrication), Daimler Trucks NA Portland (Freightliner and Western Star), Precision Castparts (Berkshire Hathaway-owned aerospace castings), Leatherman, Microchip Technology Gresham, plus a deep food-processing and wood-products manufacturing base across the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon. Mechatronics-engineering demand is broad even outside the semiconductor cluster.

Oregon Tech's Robotics dual major: how the structure works

Oregon Institute of Technology requires you to pair the BS in Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and Control Engineering with one of three primary engineering majors. Your options:

• Robotics + BSEE (Electrical Engineering): the most common pairing. Strong fit for students targeting controls engineering, embedded systems, and power electronics roles.
• Robotics + BSME (Mechanical Engineering): strong fit for students targeting robotic systems design, mechatronics integration, and aerospace mechanical engineering.
• Robotics + BSREE (Renewable Energy Engineering): niche but growing. Targets students interested in wind, solar, or grid-scale automation engineering.

The primary major (BSEE, BSME, or BSREE) is ABET-EAC accredited. The Robotics dual major rides on top with additional robotics-and-mechatronics coursework. You finish with two engineering degrees in a single 4-year program. Total credits are higher than a single major (typically 200+ vs the usual 180), so the curriculum is heavier than a standard engineering BS.

What this structure gives you: full ABET-EAC accreditation via the primary major (which qualifies you for FE-to-PE licensure paths in all 50 states) plus mechatronics-specific specialization. What it costs: a heavier course load than a standalone engineering BS and a longer credit sequence. Most Oregon Tech students who complete the dual major add an extra term or two beyond the standard 4-year timeline.

Silicon Forest careers for OIT graduates

Oregon Tech's Wilsonville campus is in the south Portland metro about 20 minutes from Intel Hillsboro, Lam Research Tualatin, and the broader Silicon Forest employer cluster. Most Wilsonville students do at least one internship or co-op rotation at a semiconductor firm during the BS. Many have full-time offers in hand before graduation.

For mechatronics-engineering roles specifically, Silicon Forest hires across several different functions. Intel hires Process Engineers (chemical and materials background) and Equipment Engineers (mechanical and electrical background) for fab operations. Lam Research and Applied Materials hire Field Service Engineers (travel to customer fabs) and Product Engineers (design and integration of equipment). Qorvo hires across RF chip design and equipment-engineering roles. The salary range for OIT graduates in Silicon Forest roles typically runs $85,000-$110,000 starting, with significant overtime, shift differentials, equity, and benefits.

Top Oregon employers hiring mechatronics engineers

Intel Hillsboro (Ronler Acres, Jones Farm, Aloha)

22,000+ employees across multiple Hillsboro campuses. Largest Intel US site. Hires mechatronics-trained engineers across Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, and fab automation. Strong intern-to-full-time conversion pipeline.

Lam Research (Tualatin + Hillsboro)

Dominant US semiconductor wafer-processing equipment manufacturer. Field Service Engineers travel to customer fabs worldwide. Product Engineers design next-generation equipment.

Applied Materials (Hillsboro + Gresham)

Global semiconductor equipment leader. Customer Support Engineers and Product Engineers.

Qorvo (Hillsboro)

RF chip manufacturer. Equipment and product engineering roles.

Boeing Portland

Composites, fabrication, and machining. Mechatronics-engineering work across aerospace manufacturing automation.

Daimler Trucks NA Portland (Freightliner, Western Star)

Daimler Trucks NA headquarters in Portland. Class 8 truck assembly. Mechatronics engineering across truck-manufacturing automation.

Precision Castparts + Tektronix + Microchip Gresham

The broader Portland-metro aerospace, test-equipment, and semiconductor employer base. Specialty mechatronics-engineering roles.

OSU Robotics graduate research + national labs

For students considering grad school after the OIT BS, OSU Corvallis runs the MS/MEng/PhD in Robotics. NREL Golden (CO), Sandia (NM), and other national labs hire OIT graduates for research-engineering roles.

Mechatronics engineer salary in Oregon

• Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141) in OR: median around $98,000 to $108,000.
• Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199, includes mechatronics) in OR: median around $108,000 to $118,000. Top US quintile.
• Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071) in OR: median around $115,000 to $125,000.
• Entry-level BS graduates typically start around $72,000 to $85,000. Silicon Forest employers (Intel, Lam Research, Applied Materials) pay $85,000-$110,000 starting plus sign-on, equity, and shift differentials.
• Cost of living in Portland metro runs around 110 percent of US average. Klamath Falls (Oregon Tech main campus) around 90 percent. The Klamath Falls vs Wilsonville tuition is the same, but cost of living during school differs significantly.

Paying for an Oregon mechatronics bachelor's

• Oregon Tech in-state tuition: around $11,200/year. Four-year total around $45,000.
• Oregon Tech out-of-state: around $30,000/year. Or near in-state via WICHE WRGP for western state residents.
• Oregon Opportunity Grant: state need-based aid for OR residents at public and private institutions.
• Federal Pell Grants: up to $7,395/year for eligible students.
• WICHE Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): students from WICHE-member states pay 150 percent of in-state tuition.
• Employer scholarships: Intel, Lam Research, and Applied Materials all sponsor Oregon Tech engineering scholarships. Worth applying for early in the BS sequence.

Best Oregon cities for mechatronics careers

Wilsonville / south Portland metro

Oregon Tech Wilsonville campus. Silicon Forest semiconductor corridor access. Best location for students who want internship and co-op exposure during the BS.

Klamath Falls / southern Oregon

Oregon Tech main campus. Traditional residential engineering experience. Cost of living about 90 percent of US average. Lower-cost living during school.

Hillsboro / Beaverton / Tualatin (Silicon Forest)

Intel Hillsboro, Lam Research Tualatin, Applied Materials, Qorvo, Tektronix Beaverton. Highest mechatronics-engineering wages in OR.

Portland proper

Boeing Portland, Daimler Trucks NA, Precision Castparts. Cost of living about 110 percent of US average.

Corvallis (OSU)

For students considering grad school after the OIT BS, OSU runs the MS/MEng/PhD in Robotics program from Corvallis.

How we ranked Oregon mechatronics programs

Every program scored on our 7-factor methodology: accreditation (25 percent), program leadership (15 percent), pathways and laddering (15 percent), delivery format (15 percent), employer signal (15 percent), cost and affordability (10 percent), reputation (5 percent). See the full methodology breakdown. Oregon Tech scores well on accreditation (EAC via the parent major), pathways (the dual major structure pairs naturally with grad school continuation at OSU), employer signal (direct Silicon Forest pipeline via the Wilsonville campus), and cost (public-tuition pricing).

Oregon mechatronics bachelor's: frequently asked questions

Sources

• BLS OEWS for SOC 17-2141, 17-2199, 17-2071 in Oregon, May 2024 release.
• Oregon Institute of Technology BS in Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and Control Engineering.
• OSU Robotics MS, MEng, and PhD: graduate continuation path.
• Business Oregon: state manufacturing employment data including Silicon Forest.
• ABET Accredited Program Search for OR engineering programs.
• WICHE Western Undergraduate Exchange: out-of-state tuition reduction details.
• NWCCU: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities institutional accreditation for Oregon Tech.