Best Undergraduate Engineering Schools by Salary Potential
So you want to be an engineer and make money, but unsure of where to start? Check out the top engineering schools with the highest-paid graduates.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name:_50px.png) Massachusetts Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$93,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$167,200 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:68% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Harvey Mudd College | School Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$97,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$166,600 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:75% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: at Annapolis_50px.png) United States Naval Academy | School Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Sober School, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$83,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$160,100 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:57% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Stanford University | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$87,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$156,500 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:50% |
| Rank:5 | School Name:_50px.png) California Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$93,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$153,100 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:98% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: Stevens Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$80,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$150,900 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:76% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Colorado School of Mines | School Type:Engineering, Research University, State School | Early Career Pay:$79,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$148,700 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:96% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Webb Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$85,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$146,500 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:100% |
| Rank:8 | School Name:_50px.png) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$80,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$146,500 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:97% |
| Rank:10 | School Name:_50px.png) United States Merchant Marine Academy | School Type:Engineering, State School | Early Career Pay:$86,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$145,600 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:53% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | School Type:Engineering, Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$79,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$145,300 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:81% |
| Rank:12 | School Name:_50px.png) Worcester Polytechnic Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$78,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$143,800 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:87% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:_50px.png) Carnegie Mellon University | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$84,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$143,400 | % High Meaning:41% | % STEM Degrees:67% |
| Rank:14 | School Name:_50px.png) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$76,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$140,500 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:79% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Clarkson University | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$70,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$139,900 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:52% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$73,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$139,800 | % High Meaning:38% | % STEM Degrees:65% |
| Rank:17 | School Name:_50px.png) University of California-San Diego | School Type:Engineering, Research University, State School | Early Career Pay:$69,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$135,300 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:52% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Kettering University | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$75,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$130,300 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:75% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:_50px.jpg) New Jersey Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$69,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$129,600 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:76% |
| Rank:20 | School Name:_50px.png) New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | School Type:Engineering, State School | Early Career Pay:$70,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$129,000 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:94% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:_50px.png) Illinois Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$70,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$127,000 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:59% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:_50px.jpg) Missouri University of Science and Technology | School Type:Engineering, Research University, State School | Early Career Pay:$72,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$125,500 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:81% |
| Rank:23 | School Name: United States Coast Guard Academy | School Type:Engineering, State School | Early Career Pay:$79,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$125,000 | % High Meaning:77% | % STEM Degrees:67% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: Milwaukee School of Engineering | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$71,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$122,400 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:70% |
| Rank:25 | School Name:Capitol Technology University | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$76,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$122,300 | % High Meaning:71% | % STEM Degrees:85% |
Engineering schools almost always win top marks in Payscale’s College Salary Report because their graduates leave school with a specific, applicable set of in-demand skills that employers are willing to pay top dollar for. Some of the most famous engineering schools in the United States are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the United States Naval Academy, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Carnegie-Mellon University.
Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, is almost always on this list, as is the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Both of these rankings are based on bachelor’s only alumni.
When we include alumni who go on to earn graduate degrees, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also does well. Many MIT grads go on to earn master’s degrees, MBAs and PhDs, and by doing so they increase their median salary.
Engineering schools are defined as any school (public or private) that grants more than 50 percent of their undergraduate degrees in math, sciences, computer science, and engineering and engineering technology majors. These degrees tend to lead to very high-paying jobs, even right after college.