Back

Computer Science (Eng)

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Because the degree lives inside an engineering college, you start with the same weed-out core as every other engineer: calculus, physics, and an intro engineering sequence, layered on top of programming, data structures, algorithms, and computer architecture. Upper-level work leans toward the machine — operating systems, computer networks, embedded systems, VLSI, and compilers — with hands-on labs and a senior design capstone where a team ships something real to a spec.

Expect ABET-accredited rigor, more required credits than most majors, and lab reports sitting next to your problem sets. Internships and co-ops are the norm, and you'll spend a lot of nights getting hardware and software to finally talk to each other.

What you'll do after college

Graduates walk out branded as engineers and head straight into software, systems, embedded, and hardware-adjacent roles — big tech, semiconductors, aerospace, robotics, and infrastructure teams that care whether you understand what happens below the API. The work is building and shipping — writing production code, profiling systems, and owning something that has to not fall over at 3 a.m.

Pay is high and the industry pipeline is well-worn. Some grads specialize further with a master's in a systems area, but most go straight to industry, where the engineering-college pedigree reads as "this person can actually build things."

Famous graduates

  • Marc Andreessen — Co-creator of Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape; B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Grainger College of Engineering)
  • Brian Acton — Co-founder of WhatsApp; B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University's School of Engineering
  • Steve Wozniak — Co-founder of Apple; B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$105,523
1,722
100–88%
$109,272
3,617
88–82%
$105,910
5,459
82–72%
$109,119
7,032
72–54%
$122,906
7,278
54–41%
$136,027
5,185
40–16%
$184,051
3,599
13–9%
$216,525
1,934
8–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$87,709
1,255
400–1090
$98,902
2,894
1090–1170
$105,067
3,999
1170–1260
$107,468
5,492
1260–1320
$123,128
5,458
1320–1410
$144,870
3,483
1410–1460
$168,781
3,359
1460–1530
$216,874
1,284
1530–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$76,461p10 $147,502p90 Military STEM Non-Research Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–25 Private University 21–40 Private University 1–20 United States Naval Academy · $102,898 United States Military Academy · $104,061 United States Air Force Academy · $105,816 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $103,259 Virginia Military Institute · $92,509 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $99,030 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $94,762 Florida Polytechnic University · $102,021 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $103,595 Harvey Mudd College · $220,204 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $151,791 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $96,133 Kettering University · $95,355 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $111,629 Lawrence Technological University · $94,043 Cal State Long Beach · $93,142 University of California, Irvine · $115,244 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $150,925 Binghamton University · $136,941 Alabama A&M University · $85,218 Cal State Los Angeles · $100,735 College of New Jersey · $105,889 University of California, Santa Barbara · $145,485 University of Washington · $162,117 CUNY City College · $105,797 Clemson University · $117,091 Florida International University · $89,221 University of California, Davis · $138,876 Stony Brook University · $119,591 University of Minnesota - Crookston · $87,616 Alabama State University · $73,623 San Jose State University · $152,575 Cal State Fullerton · $108,989 Florida Atlantic University · $87,918 Norfolk State University · $92,104 University of West Florida · $88,994 University of Connecticut · $128,072 Pennsylvania State University · $92,982 University of South Carolina · $87,069 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $94,501 Central Connecticut State University · $104,520 University of Arkansas at Little Rock · $69,282 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $87,306 Arkansas State University · $81,248 Texas Southern University · $65,875 University of Central Missouri · $89,621 Winthrop University · $81,215 Fresno State · $91,077 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $90,078 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $78,209 University at Albany · $96,732 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $103,123 Texas Tech University · $106,327 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $96,229 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $117,020 Tennessee State University · $61,218 Texas State University · $113,108 University at Buffalo · $110,541 Louisiana State University · $86,213 University of Colorado Boulder · $122,521 University of South Alabama · $84,922 Cal State Sacramento · $108,027 Cleveland State University · $98,377 East Carolina University · $89,230 George Mason University · $112,012 Marshall University · $69,329 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $101,982 Murray State University · $87,954 Ohio University · $93,416 Oregon Institute of Technology · $109,629 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $93,584 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $107,464 University of Delaware · $111,532 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $75,532 University of Memphis · $79,929 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $88,444 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $71,629 University of Texas at Arlington · $109,951 University of Texas at Dallas · $105,335 University of Texas at Tyler · $63,635 Virginia Commonwealth University · $117,373 Farmingdale State College · $70,046 University of California, Santa Cruz · $120,928 University of Vermont · $81,636 Miami University - Ohio · $105,109 Michigan Technological University · $106,282 Oregon State University · $109,905 University of Alabama · $102,009 University of Idaho · $113,175 University of Tennessee, Martin · $69,380 Washington State University · $110,492 Indiana University · $109,758 Purdue University Northwest · $86,395 Prairie View A&M University · $83,934 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $89,460 Cal State San Marcos · $102,502 Northern Arizona University · $116,405 University of New Hampshire · $110,370 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $93,475 Youngstown State University · $67,584 Tennessee Technological University · $92,817 University of Illinois Chicago · $116,325 Cal State Bakersfield · $83,688 State University of New York at Oswego · $85,128 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $104,240 Western Washington University · $129,264 University of Central Oklahoma · $83,615 Valley City State University · $69,633 Bowling Green State University · $84,600 Eastern Washington University · $98,485 Kennesaw State University · $99,785 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $84,509 Sonoma State University · $147,502 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $92,551 University of Utah · $115,890 University of Washington - Tacoma · $121,341 Michigan State University · $105,539 University of Virginia's College at Wise · $88,135 Rowan University · $59,283 Arkansas Tech University · $69,176 Fort Hays State University · $71,912 Iowa State University · $111,313 Lamar University · $83,994 Metropolitan State University · $86,497 Montana Technological University · $96,413 Saint Cloud State University · $104,990 South Dakota State University · $101,471 Southern Utah University · $83,072 University of Arizona · $104,254 University of Cincinnati · $93,060 Western Connecticut State University · $98,343 Wichita State University · $95,388 James Madison University · $109,603 University of California, Riverside · $115,351 University of Washington - Bothell · $156,690 Arizona State University · $110,064 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $94,896 Florida Gulf Coast University · $112,607 North Dakota State University · $88,499 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $112,824 Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton · $90,434 San Francisco State University · $112,049 Kansas State University · $105,050 University of Wyoming · $85,562 Texas A&M University - Texarkana · $72,793 Virginia State University · $88,451 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $108,201 University of California, Merced · $102,036 West Texas A&M University · $110,873 Shawnee State University · $73,076 Utah Valley University · $110,670 Brigham Young University · $146,934 Santa Clara University · $145,938 Fairfield University · $107,615 Loyola Marymount University · $124,471 Southern Methodist University · $116,586 Texas Christian University · $111,398 Liberty University · $116,280 Baylor University · $107,293 University of San Diego · $146,850 Walla Walla University · $94,401 William Penn University · $86,142 Howard Payne University · $69,372 Chapman University · $108,636 Milligan University · $79,827 Olivet Nazarene University · $91,054 Bellarmine University · $89,531 Harding University · $97,126 Concordia University Ann Arbor · $79,007 University of Mobile · $72,844 Franciscan University of Steubenville · $82,318 California Baptist University · $83,205 Siena Heights University · $82,625 Concordia University Wisconsin · $79,783 Abilene Christian University · $90,056 Saint Leo University · $72,685 Saint Martin's University · $78,563 University of Detroit Mercy · $97,960 Le Moyne College · $88,067 Morningside University · $79,405 Loyola University Chicago · $95,215 Mercer University · $88,718 Baldwin Wallace University · $80,009 Holy Family University · $105,271 Fresno Pacific University · $86,908 Gonzaga University · $114,331 University of Mount Union · $89,114 Seattle University · $132,713 University of Northwestern - St Paul · $93,595 George Fox University · $103,984 Siena College · $101,474 Gannon University · $80,494 Houston Christian University · $89,724 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $72,920 DePaul University · $96,002 St. Mary's University · $78,260 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion · $79,446 University of the Incarnate Word · $61,044 Hardin-Simmons University · $75,506 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $112,827 Oklahoma Christian University · $88,844 Rochester University · $71,772 Blue Mountain Christian University · $67,763 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $148,254 Florida Institute of Technology · $113,089 Rochester Institute of Technology · $131,983 Hampton University · $89,286 Howard University · $99,400 Syracuse University · $118,264 Quinnipiac University · $79,079 Champlain College · $95,209 Indiana Institute of Technology · $75,558 Bradley University · $88,943 Roger Williams University · $99,183 University of New Haven · $94,541 Wilkes University · $120,409 University of Bridgeport · $90,929 Lipscomb University · $93,555 Clarkson University · $118,904 Trine University · $77,509 University of Hartford · $77,618 University of the Pacific · $96,655 Curry College · $92,215 Butler University · $91,325 Husson University · $76,461 Drexel University · $119,954 Monmouth University · $109,194 University of Denver · $97,801 Nova Southeastern University · $137,627 National University · $84,278 Georgia Tech · $155,126 University of California, Berkeley · $230,993 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $153,297 University of Georgia · $100,605 Purdue University · $149,545 Colorado School of Mines · $136,319 University of Maryland, College Park · $135,172 UCLA · $147,327 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $170,405 Texas A&M University - College Station · $121,797 Auburn University · $102,411 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $101,926 University of Central Florida · $89,759 Virginia Tech · $135,082 University of California, San Diego · $160,463 Ohio State University · $106,752 North Carolina State University · $111,385 Case Western Reserve University · $119,949 University of Southern California · $177,645 University of Miami · $101,370 Northeastern University · $149,127 Stevens Institute of Technology · $139,220 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $148,489 University of Rochester · $152,355 MIT · $220,064 Johns Hopkins University · $183,104 Stanford University · $247,797 University of Pennsylvania · $171,166 Carnegie Mellon University · $251,632 Rice University · $213,603 Cornell University · $216,584 Vanderbilt University · $156,821 Tufts University · $168,606 Military: mean $100,334 STEM Non-Research: mean $121,846 Public University: mean $98,987 Religious University: mean $94,075 Private University: mean $100,638 Public University 1–25: mean $135,786 Private University 21–40: mean $141,165 Private University 1–20: mean $203,264 All colleges: p10 $76,461 All colleges: p90 $147,502
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Computer Science (Eng) 268 35,826 79% / 21% 10% $112,694 96%
Computer Science 191 30,937 79% / 21% 11% $110,825 96%
Software Engineering 28 956 81% / 19% 8% $102,192 96%
Computer Programming 35 950 83% / 17% 5% $85,951 96%
Computer Science and Engineering 9 781 81% / 19% 7% $108,883 94%
Computer Software Engineering 40 694 81% / 19% 7% $95,237 98%
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences 1 492 78% / 22% 14% $240,462 97%
Computer Science and Engineering (Course 6-3) 1 323 58% / 42% 13% $220,064 94%
Computer Science and Software Engineering 2 286 76% / 24% 9% $131,546 94%
Computer Science and Systems 1 176 78% / 22% 2% $121,341 93%
Computer Systems Engineering 1 74 81% / 19% 9% $113,500 91%
Computer Science (Games) 1 45 64% / 36% 29% $165,219 91%
Computing and Software Systems 1 37 73% / 27% 3% $121,341 93%
Computer Engineering and Computer Science 1 36 67% / 33% 25% $161,292 93%
Computational Science 2 21 67% / 33% 0% $103,862
Computer Programming, Specific Applications 3 13 54% / 46% 0% $95,420 94%
Computing Sciences 1 4 100% / 0% 25% $74,817
Computing Studies 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $75,090 95%