In order to efficiently generate mesh data to be used for application of structural analysis to an object formed by uniting a plurality of elements in which data elements are automatically connected without manual operation, an apparatus for generating mesh data includes an edge extracting section for extracting, on the basis of the three-dimensional design data, a pair of edges corresponding to a connection at which two elements are connected to each other when the object is formed; a mesh data generating section for generating, on the basis of the three-dimensional design data, mesh data concerning each of the plural elements; a node extracting section for extracting nodes corresponding one to each of the pair of edges extracted by the edge extracting section from the mesh data; and a node connecting section for connecting the nodes of the pair of edges to each other.