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Computer Engineering

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Computer Engineering sits on the boundary of electrical engineering and computer science: it's about building the hardware that runs software and the low-level software that drives hardware. Early classes pair circuits and digital logic with programming and data structures; later you'll specialize in areas like processor and chip design, embedded systems, computer architecture, FPGAs, or operating systems and firmware. Labs are central: you'll design digital logic, program microcontrollers, and build systems where hardware and software meet.

Expect more math and hardware than a pure CS major, but more programming than a pure EE major. Senior design projects often involve building something real—a custom processor, a robot, or an embedded device.

What you'll do after college

Grads work where hardware and software meet—designing processors and SoCs at Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel; building embedded systems for cars, phones, and medical devices; writing firmware, device drivers, and operating systems; or working on computer architecture and FPGA-based designs. The day-to-day mixes coding, simulation, and hardware bring-up and debugging in the lab.

Pay is competitive with software engineering, and the hardware-facing work is much harder to outsource. Many grads earn graduate degrees, especially for chip design and computer architecture roles.

Famous graduates

  • Steve Wozniak — Co-founder of Apple; B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley
  • Larry Page — Co-founder of Google; B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan
  • Martin Eberhard — Co-founder of Tesla; B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$103,982
1,445
100–80%
$110,848
3,362
80–48%
$124,061
3,410
48–21%
$150,778
1,379
20–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$97,729
1,146
400–1170
$105,832
2,634
1170–1350
$127,405
2,725
1350–1460
$154,241
1,087
1460–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$87,587p10 $137,877p90 Military STEM Non-Research Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–25 Private University 21–40 Private University 1–20 United States Naval Academy · $100,172 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $95,540 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $94,762 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $94,762 Florida Polytechnic University · $90,267 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $105,327 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $123,554 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $99,744 Kettering University · $118,120 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $97,111 Lawrence Technological University · $89,869 Bucknell University · $140,705 Union College · $110,338 Claflin University · $73,491 North Central College · $95,655 Taylor University · $92,264 York College of Pennsylvania · $101,534 Cal State Long Beach · $108,748 University of California, Irvine · $115,244 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $146,406 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $89,880 University of South Florida · $99,737 Binghamton University · $114,063 San Diego State University · $114,505 College of New Jersey · $122,149 University of California, Santa Barbara · $139,942 University of Washington · $149,484 CUNY City College · $111,970 Cal Poly - Pomona · $102,133 Clemson University · $98,155 Florida International University · $103,462 North Carolina A&T State University · $96,596 University of California, Davis · $146,640 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $111,632 State University of New York at New Paltz · $97,628 Stony Brook University · $128,966 San Jose State University · $143,080 Cal State Fullerton · $113,278 Florida Atlantic University · $96,084 University of West Florida · $91,293 Texas A&M International University · $76,944 University of Connecticut · $108,654 Pennsylvania State University · $110,493 University of South Carolina · $87,710 University of Pittsburgh · $103,404 Mississippi State University · $83,570 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $123,984 University of New Mexico · $111,053 Jackson State University · $87,908 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $87,505 Fresno State · $131,127 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $89,935 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $101,456 University of Houston · $105,137 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $99,140 Central Michigan University · $94,604 Oklahoma State University · $99,253 University at Albany · $94,016 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $106,873 Texas Tech University · $104,343 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $92,870 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $99,036 University at Buffalo · $103,601 Louisiana State University · $104,759 University of Colorado Boulder · $108,051 University of South Alabama · $86,458 Cal State Sacramento · $107,734 Cleveland State University · $78,588 George Mason University · $108,739 Georgia Southern University · $94,420 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $105,434 Oakland University · $99,893 Ohio University · $95,633 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $83,355 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $92,604 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $87,587 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $119,244 University of Delaware · $109,160 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $90,291 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $96,669 University of Memphis · $94,793 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $103,415 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $87,943 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $87,467 University of Texas at Arlington · $116,258 University of Texas at Dallas · $109,387 Virginia Commonwealth University · $115,908 Wright State University · $87,791 Augusta University · $91,563 University of California, Santa Cruz · $137,877 Miami University - Ohio · $107,488 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $103,802 Cal State East Bay · $107,345 Henderson State University · $76,071 Michigan Technological University · $105,712 Old Dominion University · $109,053 University of Alabama · $105,505 University of Arkansas · $114,783 University of Idaho · $95,293 University of Louisville · $104,361 University of Mississippi · $95,393 Washington State University · $110,492 Purdue University Northwest · $91,776 University of Rhode Island · $98,956 Prairie View A&M University · $96,099 University of Missouri · $96,583 Chico State · $107,580 Fitchburg State University · $92,950 Northern Arizona University · $98,525 University of New Hampshire · $119,682 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $103,237 Tennessee Technological University · $105,082 University of Illinois Chicago · $80,522 University of Massachusetts Boston · $101,303 Cal State Bakersfield · $91,921 Grand Valley State University · $101,188 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $96,005 Portland State University · $126,526 State University of New York at Oswego · $87,657 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $105,749 University of Toledo · $89,878 University of Central Oklahoma · $83,262 University of North Texas · $107,903 Bowling Green State University · $84,600 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $112,299 Kennesaw State University · $99,785 Shepherd University · $87,958 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $70,200 University of Utah · $111,913 University of Washington - Tacoma · $223,690 Michigan State University · $101,837 Purdue University Fort Wayne · $88,618 University of Iowa · $114,881 Western Michigan University · $90,655 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $97,039 Arkansas Tech University · $79,322 Cal State San Bernardino · $97,972 Fort Lewis College · $75,713 Iowa State University · $111,313 Saint Cloud State University · $104,990 University of Akron · $96,653 University of Cincinnati · $100,228 University of Maine · $102,689 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $95,596 West Virginia University · $99,140 Wichita State University · $89,791 University of California, Riverside · $117,682 University of Washington - Bothell · $223,690 Cal State Northridge · $99,001 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $117,147 University of Kansas · $111,072 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $98,479 Christopher Newport University · $97,949 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $93,932 University of Kentucky · $97,946 University of Texas at San Antonio · $86,223 North Dakota State University · $91,020 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $110,493 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $103,404 University of Southern Mississippi · $82,881 San Francisco State University · $111,112 Utah State University · $109,296 Kansas State University · $113,010 University of Wyoming · $97,297 Virginia State University · $90,757 Montana State University · $97,423 Lake Superior State University · $87,536 Utah Valley University · $100,688 Weber State University · $94,252 University of Notre Dame · $123,106 Santa Clara University · $191,635 Villanova University · $115,714 Regent University · $88,398 Johnson C. Smith University · $66,899 Saint Louis University · $94,647 Southern Methodist University · $109,331 Liberty University · $95,751 LeTourneau University · $95,342 Walla Walla University · $95,312 Capital University · $90,736 Chapman University · $100,961 High Point University · $95,656 University of Dayton · $114,029 Bellarmine University · $89,137 Cedarville University · $96,519 Harding University · $92,730 Manhattan College · $89,566 MidAmerica Nazarene University · $87,186 University of Scranton · $96,664 Sacred Heart University · $92,666 The Master's University and Seminary · $87,834 Ohio Northern University · $93,069 Lewis University · $93,909 Saint Elizabeth University · $90,356 Loyola University Chicago · $95,215 University of Tulsa · $103,204 Marquette University · $98,099 University of Indianapolis · $84,522 Gonzaga University · $100,635 University of Mount Union · $91,396 Seattle University · $99,039 George Fox University · $110,322 Gannon University · $81,973 Benedict College · $65,080 Catholic University of America · $98,780 St. Mary's University · $76,838 Valparaiso University · $94,157 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $110,480 Christian Brothers University · $90,409 Oklahoma Christian University · $85,947 Florida Institute of Technology · $100,548 Rochester Institute of Technology · $122,991 Howard University · $95,452 Tuskegee University · $93,002 Syracuse University · $108,768 Hofstra University · $101,614 Elon University · $100,647 Indiana Institute of Technology · $78,876 Merrimack College · $100,678 Illinois Institute of Technology · $103,105 Bradley University · $91,962 University of New Haven · $96,128 Western New England University · $97,240 University of Bridgeport · $92,275 Clarkson University · $110,682 Trine University · $78,228 University of Hartford · $92,823 University of the Pacific · $135,717 Curry College · $92,426 Drexel University · $119,954 University of Denver · $103,952 Norwich University · $108,155 Georgia Tech · $131,153 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $123,120 University of Virginia · $139,318 University of Florida · $114,942 University of Georgia · $97,744 Purdue University · $118,081 University of Maryland, College Park · $149,374 UCLA · $191,628 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $136,097 University of Texas at Austin · $123,101 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $145,337 Texas A&M University - College Station · $119,310 Florida State University · $102,516 Auburn University · $98,999 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $103,717 University of Central Florida · $99,037 Virginia Tech · $123,589 University of California, San Diego · $154,498 North Carolina State University · $110,896 Washington University in St Louis · $132,427 Case Western Reserve University · $108,310 New York University · $108,105 University of Southern California · $142,374 Boston University · $138,076 University of Miami · $99,281 Lehigh University · $113,884 Northeastern University · $143,143 Stevens Institute of Technology · $136,926 George Washington University · $127,492 MIT · $190,731 Johns Hopkins University · $144,486 Duke University · $174,619 Princeton University · $161,813 University of Pennsylvania · $177,544 Carnegie Mellon University · $183,814 Rice University · $139,102 Northwestern University · $138,897 Cornell University · $131,283 Vanderbilt University · $142,440 Columbia University · $190,478 Tufts University · $128,687 Military: mean $96,309 STEM Non-Research: mean $103,427 Liberal Arts: mean $102,331 Public University: mean $103,497 Religious University: mean $96,909 Private University: mean $101,147 Public University 1–25: mean $125,392 Private University 21–40: mean $125,002 Private University 1–20: mean $158,658 All colleges: p10 $87,587 All colleges: p90 $137,877
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Computer Engineering 281 9,596 84% / 16% 11% $109,526 97%
Computer Engineering 266 8,382 85% / 15% 11% $104,190 97%
Electrical & Computer Engineering 13 1,125 74% / 26% 12% $143,176 98%
Electrical Engineering with Computing (Course 6-5) 1 58 59% / 41% 3% $190,731 96%
Computer Hardware Engineering 2 19 84% / 16% 11% $151,064 98%
Computer Engineering and Systems 1 12 100% / 0% 0% $223,690 97%