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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

$107,319
1,442
100–82%
$107,774
3,363
81–52%
$119,411
3,372
51–20%
$147,320
1,434
19–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$104,670
1,201
400–1160
$106,716
2,743
1160–1340
$125,336
2,781
1340–1460
$147,862
1,116
1460–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$91,269p10 $128,256p90 Military STEM Non-Research Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 United States Naval Academy · $114,718 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $99,748 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $93,193 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $93,957 Florida Polytechnic University · $89,755 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $128,256 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $110,101 Kettering University · $119,179 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $91,422 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $103,008 Lawrence Technological University · $95,883 Bucknell University · $143,017 Claflin University · $87,222 Union College · $107,319 North Central College · $93,869 Taylor University · $96,146 York College of Pennsylvania · $104,587 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $102,551 University of California, Irvine · $101,731 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $132,138 Binghamton University · $109,065 San Diego State University · $101,833 University of California, Santa Barbara · $126,189 University of South Florida · $97,357 University of Washington · $135,812 CUNY City College · $104,084 Cal Poly - Pomona · $93,084 Clemson University · $101,463 Florida International University · $94,852 North Carolina A&T State University · $99,376 University of Central Florida · $96,425 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $107,088 University of Maryland, College Park · $140,334 Cal State Long Beach · $95,997 University of California, Davis · $133,509 State University of New York at New Paltz · $94,686 Auburn University · $106,540 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $111,783 Stony Brook University · $119,500 Texas A&M University - College Station · $125,068 Cal State Fullerton · $99,996 Florida Atlantic University · $88,088 University of West Florida · $94,110 Texas A&M International University · $88,306 University of Connecticut · $105,143 Virginia Tech · $124,549 University of South Carolina · $91,269 Pennsylvania State University · $114,814 University of Pittsburgh · $104,532 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $119,493 University of New Mexico · $119,704 College of New Jersey · $115,137 Jackson State University · $99,868 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $94,027 Fresno State · $121,889 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $100,707 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $93,405 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $104,294 Central Michigan University · $95,282 Oklahoma State University · $107,124 University at Albany · $104,664 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $96,472 Texas Tech University · $109,412 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $93,117 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $98,638 University at Buffalo · $101,697 Louisiana State University · $112,773 University of Colorado Boulder · $104,809 University of Alabama · $111,355 Cal State Sacramento · $98,087 Cleveland State University · $83,233 George Mason University · $104,670 Georgia Southern University · $100,173 Oakland University · $99,491 Ohio University · $101,410 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $87,769 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $95,153 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $94,771 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $118,382 University of Delaware · $108,318 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $91,495 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $92,565 University of Memphis · $102,380 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $112,516 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $101,031 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $93,784 University of Texas at Arlington · $115,825 University of Texas at Dallas · $108,914 Virginia Commonwealth University · $116,020 Wright State University · $93,656 Augusta University · $94,901 Miami University - Ohio · $110,977 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $111,722 University of Rhode Island · $97,130 Cal State East Bay · $94,607 Henderson State University · $99,312 University of Arkansas · $128,714 University of Idaho · $98,466 University of Louisville · $114,682 University of Mississippi · $104,542 Washington State University · $110,404 University of Houston · $106,970 University of Illinois Chicago · $79,635 Purdue University Northwest · $95,242 Prairie View A&M University · $101,965 University of Missouri · $102,462 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $106,359 Chico State · $100,450 Fitchburg State University · $91,504 University of New Hampshire · $113,627 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $110,874 Tennessee Technological University · $112,991 University of Massachusetts Boston · $100,654 Kennesaw State University · $101,182 University of Iowa · $120,173 Cal State Bakersfield · $85,953 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $93,385 Portland State University · $120,164 State University of New York at Oswego · $88,133 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $116,476 University of Toledo · $95,348 San Jose State University · $128,080 University of Central Oklahoma · $94,567 University of North Texas · $107,624 Bowling Green State University · $89,960 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $110,990 Shepherd University · $89,004 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $71,191 University of Utah · $112,758 University of California, Santa Cruz · $123,714 University of Washington - Tacoma · $203,232 Purdue University Fort Wayne · $99,606 Western Michigan University · $92,639 Michigan State University · $102,390 Mississippi State University · $96,057 Arkansas Tech University · $91,251 Cal State San Bernardino · $89,292 Fort Lewis College · $86,882 Iowa State University · $117,624 Saint Cloud State University · $106,487 University of Akron · $102,285 University of Cincinnati · $104,949 University of Maine · $103,453 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $89,614 West Virginia University · $103,057 Wichita State University · $100,355 Michigan Technological University · $106,475 University of California, Riverside · $107,256 University of Washington - Bothell · $203,232 Cal State Northridge · $88,578 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $108,126 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $104,439 Christopher Newport University · $98,207 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $97,926 Northern Arizona University · $102,016 University of Kentucky · $106,527 University of Texas at San Antonio · $89,247 Old Dominion University · $109,397 North Dakota State University · $101,206 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $114,252 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $106,716 University of Southern Mississippi · $100,326 University of Kansas · $123,247 Grand Valley State University · $101,637 San Francisco State University · $97,205 Utah State University · $112,164 University of South Alabama · $92,996 Idaho State University · $94,489 Kansas State University · $125,454 University of Wyoming · $103,040 Virginia State University · $104,328 Montana State University · $97,376 Lake Superior State University · $93,751 Weber State University · $96,760 University of Notre Dame · $124,465 Villanova University · $114,857 Regent University · $99,685 Johnson C. Smith University · $85,768 Santa Clara University · $171,545 Saint Louis University · $99,230 Southern Methodist University · $107,653 Liberty University · $102,142 LeTourneau University · $98,918 Walla Walla University · $98,924 Capital University · $93,831 University of Dayton · $119,795 Bellarmine University · $88,686 Cedarville University · $97,497 Harding University · $101,844 Manhattan College · $83,481 Merrimack College · $98,559 MidAmerica Nazarene University · $93,835 Sacred Heart University · $93,671 The Master's University and Seminary · $94,215 Ohio Northern University · $95,212 Lewis University · $93,743 Chapman University · $96,380 Saint Elizabeth University · $87,735 University of Tulsa · $110,294 Loyola University Chicago · $94,804 Marquette University · $101,309 University of Indianapolis · $92,457 Gonzaga University · $97,594 University of Scranton · $97,314 Seattle University · $99,735 George Fox University · $118,997 Gannon University · $92,681 Benedict College · $84,618 Catholic University of America · $100,818 St. Mary's University · $79,134 Valparaiso University · $97,934 Seattle Pacific University · $101,960 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $111,795 Oklahoma Christian University · $91,744 University of Miami · $98,958 Tuskegee University · $100,086 Syracuse University · $106,713 Howard University · $97,368 George Washington University · $135,218 Stevens Institute of Technology · $123,600 Hofstra University · $101,830 Indiana Institute of Technology · $91,539 Florida Institute of Technology · $98,574 Illinois Institute of Technology · $102,019 Bradley University · $95,476 Rochester Institute of Technology · $120,181 University of New Haven · $96,408 University of Bridgeport · $90,463 Clarkson University · $104,580 Trine University · $82,840 University of Hartford · $93,137 University of the Pacific · $124,460 Curry College · $101,784 Drexel University · $119,066 University of Denver · $104,178 Norwich University · $118,239 Western New England University · $96,261 Georgia Tech · $131,437 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $122,499 University of Virginia · $137,626 UCLA · $169,159 University of Florida · $114,522 University of Georgia · $101,081 Purdue University · $120,254 North Carolina State University · $113,535 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $137,261 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $148,618 Florida State University · $103,594 University of California, San Diego · $137,401 University of Pennsylvania · $155,827 Duke University · $179,140 Columbia University · $177,537 Johns Hopkins University · $132,967 Carnegie Mellon University · $185,819 Northwestern University · $137,434 Vanderbilt University · $141,811 Washington University in St Louis · $124,523 Tufts University · $126,568 University of Southern California · $138,474 New York University · $100,760 Boston University · $129,988 Case Western Reserve University · $115,560 Northeastern University · $134,758 Lehigh University · $113,717 Military: mean $100,404 STEM Non-Research: mean $105,372 Liberal Arts: mean $105,360 Public University: mean $104,950 Religious University: mean $100,371 Private University: mean $104,477 Public University 1–15: mean $128,082 Private University 1–30: mean $139,659 All colleges: p10 $91,269 All colleges: p90 $128,256
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Computer Engineering 288 9,722 83% / 17% 11% $108,900 97%
Computer Engineering 279 8,867 85% / 15% 11% $105,643 97%
Electrical & Computer Engineering 9 777 69% / 31% 17% $141,876 97%
Computer Hardware Engineering 4 63 86% / 14% 5% $143,180 98%
Computer Engineering and Systems 1 10 80% / 20% 0% $203,232 97%
Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering 1 5 100% / 0% 0% $140,334 97%