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.

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Bachelor's Only
All Alumni
RankSchool NameSchool TypeEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
% High Meaning
% STEM Degrees
Rank:1School Name:Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$93,700Mid-Career Pay:$167,200% High Meaning:51%% STEM Degrees:68%
Rank:2School Name:Harvey Mudd CollegeSchool Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$97,700Mid-Career Pay:$166,600% High Meaning:56%% STEM Degrees:75%
Rank:3School Name:United States Naval AcademySchool Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Sober School, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$83,700Mid-Career Pay:$160,100% High Meaning:61%% STEM Degrees:57%
Rank:4School Name:Stanford UniversitySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$87,100Mid-Career Pay:$156,500% High Meaning:55%% STEM Degrees:50%
Rank:5School Name:California Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$93,100Mid-Career Pay:$153,100% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:98%
Rank:6School Name:Stevens Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$80,400Mid-Career Pay:$150,900% High Meaning:48%% STEM Degrees:76%
Rank:7School Name:Colorado School of MinesSchool Type:Engineering, Research University, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$79,300Mid-Career Pay:$148,700% High Meaning:59%% STEM Degrees:96%
Rank:8School Name:Webb InstituteSchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$85,300Mid-Career Pay:$146,500% High Meaning:45%% STEM Degrees:100%
Rank:8School Name:Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$80,500Mid-Career Pay:$146,500% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:97%
Rank:10School Name:United States Merchant Marine AcademySchool Type:Engineering, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$86,800Mid-Career Pay:$145,600% High Meaning:57%% STEM Degrees:53%
Rank:11School Name:Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusSchool Type:Engineering, Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$79,000Mid-Career Pay:$145,300% High Meaning:48%% STEM Degrees:81%
Rank:12School Name:Worcester Polytechnic InstituteSchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$78,800Mid-Career Pay:$143,800% High Meaning:51%% STEM Degrees:87%
Rank:13School Name:Carnegie Mellon UniversitySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$84,000Mid-Career Pay:$143,400% High Meaning:41%% STEM Degrees:67%
Rank:14School Name:Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$76,700Mid-Career Pay:$140,500% High Meaning:49%% STEM Degrees:79%
Rank:15School Name:Clarkson UniversitySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$70,700Mid-Career Pay:$139,900% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:52%
Rank:16School Name:Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtSchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$73,700Mid-Career Pay:$139,800% High Meaning:38%% STEM Degrees:65%
Rank:17School Name:University of California-San DiegoSchool Type:Engineering, Research University, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$69,300Mid-Career Pay:$135,300% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:52%
Rank:18School Name:Kettering UniversitySchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$75,700Mid-Career Pay:$130,300% High Meaning:42%% STEM Degrees:75%
Rank:19School Name:New Jersey Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$69,200Mid-Career Pay:$129,600% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:76%
Rank:20School Name:New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$70,500Mid-Career Pay:$129,000% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:94%
Rank:21School Name:Illinois Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$70,300Mid-Career Pay:$127,000% High Meaning:50%% STEM Degrees:59%
Rank:22School Name:Missouri University of Science and TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Research University, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$72,600Mid-Career Pay:$125,500% High Meaning:51%% STEM Degrees:81%
Rank:23School Name:United States Coast Guard AcademySchool Type:Engineering, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$79,700Mid-Career Pay:$125,000% High Meaning:77%% STEM Degrees:67%
Rank:24School Name:Milwaukee School of EngineeringSchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$71,800Mid-Career Pay:$122,400% High Meaning:49%% STEM Degrees:70%
Rank:25School Name:Capitol Technology UniversitySchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$76,300Mid-Career Pay:$122,300% High Meaning:71%% STEM Degrees:85%

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College Student

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.