General Engineering
What you'll do in college
General or interdisciplinary engineering programs let you cross departmental lines instead of locking into a traditional discipline. Core classes still cover math, physics, mechanics, and design, but upper-level coursework is flexible: you might pair engineering with business, policy, biology, or art.
Many programs are project-based, with a "design-build-test" loop running through every year. They're popular at small liberal arts colleges and at engineering schools that want students to think like generalists rather than specialists.
What you'll do after college
Grads work across industries—startups, consulting, product management, government, and R&D labs—often in roles where being able to talk to multiple kinds of engineers is more valuable than deep specialization. Some go on to specialize in graduate school, while others use the major as a bridge into business, law, or medicine.
Pay is comparable to other engineering paths but employers may want to see a strong portfolio or research experience.
Famous graduates
- Charles Koch — CEO of Koch Industries; B.S. in General Engineering from MIT
- Elizabeth Hausler — Founder of Build Change; B.S. in General Engineering from UIUC
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Engineering | 298 | 4,066 | 69% / 31% | 7% | $97,079 | 98% |
| Engineering | 96 | 1,574 | 67% / 33% | 8% | $98,129 | 98% |
| General Engineering | 96 | 1,380 | 73% / 27% | 5% | $95,406 | 98% |
| Engineering Science | 42 | 364 | 60% / 40% | 11% | $92,642 | 97% |
| Engineering Sciences | 2 | 142 | 55% / 45% | 13% | $93,030 | 99% |
| Engineering Physics | 28 | 139 | 77% / 23% | 7% | $92,019 | 100% |
| Pre-Engineering | 45 | 122 | 71% / 29% | 10% | $93,286 | 95% |
| Multidisciplinary Engineering | 2 | 87 | 77% / 23% | 5% | $94,446 | 97% |
| Systems Engineering and Design | 1 | 67 | 70% / 30% | 10% | $105,624 | 100% |
| Systems Engineering (General) | 3 | 46 | 74% / 26% | 7% | $89,062 | 95% |
| Applied Engineering | 1 | 39 | 85% / 15% | 3% | $145,134 | 97% |
| Integrated Design Engineering | 1 | 39 | 54% / 46% | 3% | $149,479 | 94% |
| Applied Sciences in Engineering | 1 | 35 | 60% / 40% | 6% | $99,590 | 96% |
| Fire Protection Engineering | 1 | 24 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $94,122 | 94% |
| Interdisciplinary Engineering & Applied Science (IDEAS) | 1 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 40% | $116,706 | |
| Applied Science | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $105,803 | |
| Engineering Dual Degree | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $84,670 | |
| Engineering Undeclared | 5 | 0 | $104,082 | |||
| Undeclared Engineering | 3 | 0 | $109,042 | |||
| Engineering Undecided | 2 | 0 | $107,274 | |||
| Physics-Engineering Dual Degree | 1 | 0 | $95,887 |