The adjective "better" is just a matter of opinion. There is no final solution. Software "Engineering" is extremely distinct from the major school of conventional engineering theory, as someone who has a Mechanical Engineering degree can attest to (in fact, some people are pretty adamant about software engineering not being "real" engineering, though they are similar on a philosophical level: you have a goal, and you develop whatever you need in order to meet that goal, etc.).

If you're trying to figure out what you want to major in in college, think about what you're best at. The Fundamentals of Engineering test (which I passed) doesn't need much further study beyond what most US engineering grads already know from their undergraduate degrees.

According to what I've read, this test would be impossible for software developers to pass. Software engineering is significantly more abstract than traditional engineering, which has its roots in the real world and produces observable results. To be a software engineer, you don't need to understand how the actual world works. Physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, structural analysis, material science, manufacturing, etc., are all useless to a software engineer. It all boils down to your natural talents, however.

However, while being more proficient at programming than many of my mechanical engineering friends, I do not have a strong interest or aptitude in it, thus choosing my current major has been a wise decision. Software engineering can be the ideal choice for you if you're interested in computers and programming. A software engineer is more than just a glorified coder, even if they are very skilled at it.

My impression is that they often work at a higher level of software structure and functioning, and that they need a certain set of skills to achieve what they do, as I understand it.

Dear aspirant,

Both the courses are better. But getting Mechanical Engineering Core jobs is difficult and takes time and need experience to get job in top Companies. Coming to Software Engineer, you can get jobs easily when compared to Core Mechanical Engineering jobs. If you want to settle in life quickly and want high paying job quickly then go for Software job. If you are in interested in Mechanical Engineering and can dedicate some years in growth in this field then go for Mechanical Engineering.

Hope this helps you.

Thank you!!