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Major family

Engineering

Majors within Engineering, ranked by median graduate earnings five years out.

$97,481
Typical earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
35
Majors in this field
1,953
College programs

Majors in Engineering

1
Operations Research
Engineering
$168,920median earnings (5 yr)
6colleges
Strong return DR 94 AExplore
2
Systems Engineering
Engineering
$135,617median earnings (5 yr)
26colleges
Strong return DR 88 AExplore
3
Computer Engineering
Engineering
$112,722median earnings (5 yr)
168colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
4
Engineering, Other
Engineering
$110,768median earnings (5 yr)
22colleges
Strong return DR 88 AExplore
5
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Engineering
$108,627median earnings (5 yr)
6colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
6
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Engineering
$107,845median earnings (5 yr)
295colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
7
Construction Engineering
Engineering
$103,555median earnings (5 yr)
7colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
8
Petroleum Engineering
Engineering
$103,142median earnings (5 yr)
20colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
9
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
Engineering
$102,635median earnings (5 yr)
73colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
10
Nuclear Engineering
Engineering
$102,594median earnings (5 yr)
14colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
11
Polymer/Plastics Engineering
Engineering
$100,327median earnings (5 yr)
3colleges
Strong return DR 89 AExplore
12
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Engineering
$99,854median earnings (5 yr)
122colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
13
Biochemical Engineering
Engineering
$99,194median earnings (5 yr)
1colleges
Strong return DR 95 AExplore
14
Chemical Engineering
Engineering
$98,853median earnings (5 yr)
159colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
15
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
Engineering
$97,576median earnings (5 yr)
1colleges
Strong return DR 92 AExplore
16
Mining and Mineral Engineering
Engineering
$97,521median earnings (5 yr)
7colleges
Strong return DR 92 AExplore
17
Industrial Engineering
Engineering
$97,145median earnings (5 yr)
81colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
18
Electromechanical Engineering
Engineering
$96,906median earnings (5 yr)
1colleges
Strong return DR 87 AExplore
19
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering
$96,499median earnings (5 yr)
370colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
20
Engineering Mechanics
Engineering
$94,053median earnings (5 yr)
2colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
21
Engineering Physics
Engineering
$93,472median earnings (5 yr)
5colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
22
Architectural Engineering
Engineering
$92,300median earnings (5 yr)
14colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
23
Ocean Engineering
Engineering
$90,886median earnings (5 yr)
4colleges
Strong return DR 89 AExplore
24
Engineering, General
Engineering
$89,688median earnings (5 yr)
116colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
25
Civil Engineering
Engineering
$89,360median earnings (5 yr)
292colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
26
Materials Engineering
Engineering
$88,821median earnings (5 yr)
27colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
27
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
Engineering
$88,593median earnings (5 yr)
5colleges
Strong return DR 90 AExplore
28
Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering
$87,799median earnings (5 yr)
8colleges
Strong return DR 91 AExplore
29
Metallurgical Engineering
Engineering
$86,974median earnings (5 yr)
3colleges
Strong return DR 88 AExplore
30
Agricultural Engineering
Engineering
$84,027median earnings (5 yr)
20colleges
Strong return DR 87 AExplore
31
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Engineering
$82,048median earnings (5 yr)
36colleges
Strong return DR 85 AExplore
32
Engineering Science
Engineering
$79,113median earnings (5 yr)
30colleges
Strong return DR 84 AExplore
33
Forest Engineering
Engineering
$78,198median earnings (5 yr)
2colleges
Strong return DR 84 AExplore
34
Biological/Biosystems Engineering
Engineering
$75,010median earnings (5 yr)
6colleges
Strong return DR 81 AExplore
35
Textile Sciences and Engineering
Engineering
$71,193median earnings (5 yr)
1colleges
Strong return DR 74 BExplore
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Top colleges for Engineering

Highest DR-rated colleges that offer Engineering programs.

1
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private
$105,7565-yr earnings
$6,128net price/yr
+2,049%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 98 AView ROI
2
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · Private
$145,4535-yr earnings
$13,807net price/yr
+1,585%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 94 AView ROI
3
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private
$87,2375-yr earnings
$13,370net price/yr
+635%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 94 AView ROI
4
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
$89,8385-yr earnings
$13,481net price/yr
+664%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 94 AView ROI
5
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private
$96,7415-yr earnings
$15,846net price/yr
+656%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 93 AView ROI
6
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private
$110,0175-yr earnings
$18,809net price/yr
+723%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 93 AView ROI
7
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · Public
$98,6075-yr earnings
$12,116net price/yr
+851%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 93 AView ROI
8
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private
$111,5375-yr earnings
$19,066net price/yr
+718%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 92 AView ROI
9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private
$140,6455-yr earnings
$20,111net price/yr
+1,014%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 91 AView ROI
10
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
$81,9765-yr earnings
$12,548net price/yr
+569%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 91 AView ROI
11
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
$83,2535-yr earnings
$13,138net price/yr
+541%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 90 AView ROI
12
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
$82,7755-yr earnings
$14,091net price/yr
+512%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 89 AView ROI

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

Degree Return is an independent informational service. ROI figures are estimates based on past student cohorts; individual earnings vary widely. This is not financial, legal, or admissions advice. We never compute ROI where federal data is missing.

Degree Return is an independent project and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, NCES, any college, or any government agency. Source data is public domain.

Data as of 2024 · sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

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