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Electrical Engineering

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

EE is built on physics and math applied to electricity, magnetism, and signals. Early courses cover circuits, electromagnetism, signals and systems, and analog and digital electronics; later you'll specialize in areas like power systems, communications, control systems, RF and photonics, or semiconductor and chip design. Labs are central: you'll build and measure real circuits, wire up amplifiers and filters, and probably blow out at least one component.

Expect heavy math and physics, and more direct contact with the physical world than a pure CS major. Senior design projects often involve building something tangible—a wireless transmitter, a motor controller, or a custom analog chip.

What you'll do after college

Grads design the hardware that powers modern life—chips at Apple, NVIDIA, or Intel; wireless and networking gear; power grids and renewable-energy systems; and the sensors, motors, and control systems inside cars, aircraft, and medical devices. The day-to-day mixes simulation, lab and bench work, and coordination with manufacturing teams.

Pay is competitive with software engineering, and the work is hard to outsource because so much of it touches physical hardware. Many grads earn graduate degrees, especially for chip design, RF, and research roles.

Famous graduates

  • Lisa Su — CEO of AMD; B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT
  • Jensen Huang — Co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA; B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University
  • Henry Samueli — Co-founder of Broadcom; B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA
  • Eric Schmidt — Former CEO of Google; B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University
  • Robert Metcalfe — Co-inventor of Ethernet; B.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$97,067
1,337
100–85%
$98,490
2,680
85–75%
$102,858
2,701
75–68%
$101,526
2,662
68–46%
$102,812
2,653
45–24%
$112,440
1,360
23–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$94,318
1,024
400–1100
$96,746
2,113
1100–1190
$100,490
2,215
1200–1270
$98,817
1,970
1270–1350
$106,593
2,041
1360–1430
$113,913
1,034
1440–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$87,047p10 $111,393p90 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 · $96,748 United States Military Academy · $97,284 United States Air Force Academy · $97,117 United States Coast Guard Academy · $96,623 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $86,870 Virginia Military Institute · $92,316 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $97,461 SUNY Maritime College · $97,518 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $97,461 Florida Polytechnic University · $88,284 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $92,317 Olin College of Engineering · $111,393 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $98,012 Cooper Union · $136,287 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $87,003 Kettering University · $100,365 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $101,421 Lawrence Technological University · $95,581 Bucknell University · $106,972 Lafayette College · $92,887 Union College · $99,187 Dordt University · $91,368 Grove City College · $94,043 North Central College · $91,632 York College of Pennsylvania · $101,287 Westminster College · $83,033 Cal State Long Beach · $101,607 University of California, Irvine · $103,261 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $116,692 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $82,442 University of South Florida · $98,101 Binghamton University · $92,196 San Diego State University · $100,171 Alabama A&M University · $90,409 Cal State Los Angeles · $96,348 College of New Jersey · $97,224 University of California, Santa Barbara · $108,865 CUNY City College · $91,761 Cal Poly - Pomona · $106,684 Clemson University · $94,861 Florida International University · $95,194 Morgan State University · $104,184 North Carolina A&T State University · $89,227 Southern University and A&M College · $73,807 University of California, Davis · $108,426 State University of New York at New Paltz · $98,100 Stony Brook University · $95,700 San Jose State University · $119,589 Cal State Fullerton · $95,011 Florida Atlantic University · $92,511 Norfolk State University · $89,210 Northern Illinois University · $86,449 University of West Florida · $92,915 University of Connecticut · $99,424 Pennsylvania State University · $93,111 University of South Carolina · $98,758 New Mexico State University · $97,373 Tarleton State University · $91,957 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $99,007 University of Pittsburgh · $96,649 Mississippi State University · $98,845 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $99,215 University of New Mexico · $112,610 Jackson State University · $78,578 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $83,942 Arkansas State University · $96,717 Texas Southern University · $78,897 Wayne State University · $107,566 Fresno State · $106,377 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $91,835 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $96,638 University of Texas Permian Basin · $96,374 Louisiana Tech University · $97,535 University of Houston · $107,025 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $99,815 Central Michigan University · $98,443 Eastern Michigan University · $91,234 Oklahoma State University · $94,518 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $101,893 Texas Tech University · $98,444 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $93,684 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $106,893 Tennessee State University · $79,564 Texas State University · $104,885 University at Buffalo · $91,311 Louisiana State University · $101,794 University of Colorado Boulder · $107,891 University of South Alabama · $106,281 Cal State Sacramento · $106,616 Cleveland State University · $94,009 Eastern Illinois University · $82,118 George Mason University · $103,679 Georgia Southern University · $91,083 Marshall University · $97,945 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $97,225 Oakland University · $102,740 Ohio University · $98,731 Oregon Institute of Technology · $100,964 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $92,494 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $85,849 Temple University · $102,736 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $103,843 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $106,367 University of Alabama at Birmingham · $99,457 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $93,250 University of Colorado Denver · $103,433 University of Delaware · $115,483 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $94,580 University of Memphis · $84,827 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $94,718 University of Southern Indiana · $88,302 University of Southern Maine · $103,023 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $93,987 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $87,466 University of Texas at Arlington · $95,707 University of Texas at Dallas · $102,788 University of Texas at Tyler · $85,513 Virginia Commonwealth University · $99,480 Western Illinois University · $86,012 Wright State University · $88,425 College of Charleston · $94,000 University of California, Santa Cruz · $124,740 University of Vermont · $93,135 Miami University - Ohio · $97,342 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $94,540 Michigan Technological University · $100,565 Old Dominion University · $90,085 Oregon State University · $105,331 University of Alabama · $108,377 University of Arkansas · $92,831 University of Idaho · $97,164 University of Louisville · $97,308 University of Mississippi · $108,650 Washington State University · $100,264 Boise State University · $113,075 Purdue University Northwest · $90,673 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $95,903 University of Rhode Island · $96,673 Prairie View A&M University · $106,989 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $90,048 University of Missouri · $95,739 University of North Florida · $92,420 Cal State San Marcos · $99,016 Chico State · $102,306 Northern Arizona University · $107,634 Saginaw Valley State University · $88,672 University of Louisiana at Lafayette · $97,461 University of New Hampshire · $101,270 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $89,970 Youngstown State University · $89,003 Tennessee Technological University · $104,231 University of Illinois Chicago · $100,600 University of Massachusetts Boston · $98,884 Western Carolina University · $100,147 Cal State Bakersfield · $96,038 Grand Valley State University · $98,447 Portland State University · $104,747 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $89,756 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $97,890 University of Toledo · $102,561 Western Washington University · $98,065 University of Central Oklahoma · $88,349 University of New Orleans · $86,815 University of North Texas · $96,911 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $107,989 Eastern Washington University · $89,351 Kennesaw State University · $89,755 Kent State University at Kent · $83,288 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $94,065 Sonoma State University · $110,502 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $98,502 University of North Dakota · $98,547 University of Utah · $112,994 University of Washington - Tacoma · $108,406 Michigan State University · $102,673 Purdue University Fort Wayne · $97,492 University of Iowa · $110,672 Western Michigan University · $97,447 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $100,546 Rowan University · $99,094 Arkansas Tech University · $82,768 Iowa State University · $107,338 Lamar University · $97,857 Montana Technological University · $96,720 Saint Cloud State University · $99,535 South Dakota State University · $100,958 University of Akron · $93,216 University of Arizona · $105,242 University of Cincinnati · $94,336 University of Maine · $92,847 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $95,858 University of Nevada, Reno · $96,796 West Virginia University · $99,815 Western Kentucky University · $91,315 Wichita State University · $89,378 University of California, Riverside · $102,568 University of Washington - Bothell · $108,406 Arizona State University · $102,932 Cal State Northridge · $103,360 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $100,278 University of Kansas · $98,959 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $95,709 Christopher Newport University · $96,860 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $89,916 University of Kentucky · $88,742 University of Texas at San Antonio · $89,136 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay · $82,315 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $89,688 North Dakota State University · $92,081 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $93,111 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $93,111 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $96,649 San Francisco State University · $99,534 Utah State University · $98,046 College of Staten Island CUNY · $90,691 Idaho State University · $87,578 Kansas State University · $91,586 University of Texas at El Paso · $99,630 University of Wyoming · $121,065 Texas A&M University - Texarkana · $72,800 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $115,457 West Texas A&M University · $93,100 Montana State University · $92,667 Lake Superior State University · $86,753 Navajo Technical University · $83,375 Utah Valley University · $100,164 Weber State University · $96,081 University of Notre Dame · $114,810 Brigham Young University · $121,043 Union University · $91,002 Santa Clara University · $139,616 Villanova University · $109,527 Fairfield University · $97,331 Mississippi Christian University · $78,948 Wilberforce University · $88,005 Loyola Marymount University · $100,336 Saint Louis University · $92,399 Southern Methodist University · $95,549 Liberty University · $96,803 Baylor University · $99,470 John Brown University · $87,830 LeTourneau University · $97,415 University of San Diego · $118,396 Walla Walla University · $93,547 Chapman University · $98,009 High Point University · $94,020 Milligan University · $82,312 Spring Arbor University · $86,953 University of Dayton · $100,879 Cedarville University · $101,900 Harding University · $91,267 Manhattan College · $100,955 Messiah University · $83,074 University of Scranton · $92,754 Sacred Heart University · $93,217 Rockhurst University · $89,177 The Master's University and Seminary · $87,047 California Baptist University · $92,551 Ohio Northern University · $93,485 Lewis University · $91,477 University of Detroit Mercy · $96,077 University of Tulsa · $95,145 Marquette University · $97,171 Trevecca Nazarene University · $83,187 University of Mary · $89,488 Gonzaga University · $101,957 University of Mount Union · $91,873 University of Portland · $97,191 Seattle University · $102,211 George Fox University · $97,782 Gannon University · $82,538 Houston Christian University · $94,149 Catholic University of America · $97,588 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $77,127 DePaul University · $94,020 St. Mary's University · $83,826 Seattle Pacific University · $117,739 Valparaiso University · $87,180 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $95,828 Christian Brothers University · $90,177 Oklahoma Christian University · $89,470 University of Saint Thomas (TX) · $89,473 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $116,079 Florida Institute of Technology · $99,940 Rochester Institute of Technology · $106,905 Howard University · $94,947 Tuskegee University · $93,002 Syracuse University · $122,516 Jacksonville University · $90,314 Hofstra University · $96,117 Hawaii Pacific University · $92,384 Indiana Institute of Technology · $82,099 Merrimack College · $115,506 Illinois Institute of Technology · $102,309 Bradley University · $100,223 University of New Haven · $100,639 Western New England University · $94,904 Wilkes University · $97,479 University of Bridgeport · $90,898 Lipscomb University · $93,266 Clarkson University · $98,812 Trine University · $90,122 University of Hartford · $95,323 University of the Pacific · $108,479 New York Institute of Technology · $79,877 Point Park University · $78,296 Drexel University · $106,794 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus · $82,122 University of Denver · $98,219 Widener University · $90,156 National University · $98,707 Georgia Tech · $109,110 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $109,107 University of Virginia · $114,299 University of Florida · $104,143 University of Georgia · $96,314 Purdue University · $95,734 Colorado School of Mines · $103,408 University of Maryland, College Park · $108,058 UCLA · $127,528 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $103,028 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $132,440 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $93,494 Texas A&M University - College Station · $107,294 Florida State University · $96,486 Auburn University · $94,383 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $99,479 University of Central Florida · $99,495 Virginia Tech · $103,147 University of California, San Diego · $120,314 Ohio State University · $101,785 North Carolina State University · $97,818 Washington University in St Louis · $116,423 Case Western Reserve University · $112,793 New York University · $101,841 Boston University · $112,437 University of Miami · $85,529 Lehigh University · $99,040 Northeastern University · $103,304 Stevens Institute of Technology · $130,299 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $105,931 University of Rochester · $108,714 George Washington University · $109,933 Harvard University · $130,440 Caltech · $167,461 Johns Hopkins University · $125,172 Stanford University · $187,527 University of Pennsylvania · $144,309 Yale University · $139,087 Northwestern University · $127,286 Columbia University · $112,032 Tufts University · $112,857 Military: mean $95,489 STEM Non-Research: mean $101,185 Liberal Arts: mean $95,051 Public University: mean $97,170 Religious University: mean $95,496 Private University: mean $97,118 Public University 1–25: mean $105,565 Private University 21–40: mean $107,840 Private University 1–20: mean $138,463 All colleges: p10 $87,047 All colleges: p90 $111,393
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Electrical Engineering 355 13,393 85% / 15% 9% $98,849 96%
Electrical Engineering 337 12,672 85% / 15% 9% $98,943 96%
Electrical & Computer Engineering 12 672 87% / 13% 11% $97,120 96%
Photonic Science and Engineering 1 37 65% / 35% 3% $99,495 97%
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 5 5 80% / 20% 0% $87,769
Engineering Physics (EE) 2 4 100% / 0% 25% $100,788
Systems Engineering (EE) 2 3 67% / 33% 33% $97,626