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

$105,525
2,004
100–90%
$108,828
4,094
89–81%
$104,214
6,093
81–72%
$108,014
8,142
72–55%
$115,253
8,183
54–42%
$136,183
6,549
42–9%
$172,741
3,804
9–6%
$213,016
1,813
5–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$94,134
1,551
400–1090
$105,518
2,984
1090–1170
$101,806
5,160
1170–1260
$105,411
6,477
1260–1330
$123,136
6,272
1330–1400
$146,698
4,880
1410–1460
$149,843
3,395
1470–1530
$210,872
1,651
1530–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$78,447p10 $137,794p90 Military STEM Non-Research Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 United States Naval Academy · $118,567 United States Air Force Academy · $128,825 United States Military Academy · $120,301 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $104,280 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $99,655 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $93,957 Virginia Military Institute · $93,332 Harvey Mudd College · $200,694 Florida Polytechnic University · $111,166 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $153,480 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $107,027 Kettering University · $93,687 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $104,901 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $102,152 Lawrence Technological University · $91,972 Champlain College · $98,627 Lipscomb University · $95,789 University of California, Irvine · $101,731 Colorado School of Mines · $132,255 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $136,546 Binghamton University · $131,105 Alabama A&M University · $90,277 Cal State Los Angeles · $88,923 University of California, Santa Barbara · $131,187 University of Washington · $147,290 CUNY City College · $98,035 Clemson University · $119,958 Florida International University · $81,796 University of Central Florida · $87,392 University of Maryland, College Park · $126,991 Cal State Long Beach · $82,221 University of California, Davis · $132,914 Auburn University · $110,760 University of Minnesota - Crookston · $83,916 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $109,852 Stony Brook University · $119,202 Ohio State University · $110,096 Alabama State University · $87,947 Texas A&M University - College Station · $126,770 Cal State Fullerton · $96,209 Florida Atlantic University · $80,601 Norfolk State University · $110,406 University of West Florida · $92,227 University of Connecticut · $124,309 Virginia Tech · $135,292 University of South Carolina · $90,428 Pennsylvania State University · $95,681 Central Connecticut State University · $101,344 University of Arkansas at Little Rock · $78,567 College of New Jersey · $99,811 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $92,226 Arkansas State University · $93,996 Texas Southern University · $66,694 University of Central Missouri · $92,002 Fresno State · $84,661 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $92,807 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $82,275 University at Albany · $106,601 James Madison University · $110,599 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $93,151 Texas Tech University · $111,117 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $93,365 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $113,953 Tennessee State University · $64,665 Texas State University · $115,342 University at Buffalo · $108,285 Louisiana State University · $91,604 University of Colorado Boulder · $118,841 University of Alabama · $107,879 Cal State Sacramento · $98,354 Cleveland State University · $104,060 East Carolina University · $94,994 George Mason University · $107,567 Marshall University · $72,416 Murray State University · $96,653 Ohio University · $101,061 Oregon Institute of Technology · $117,972 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $97,072 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $106,759 University of Delaware · $110,672 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $76,775 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $92,960 University of Memphis · $86,326 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $95,893 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $76,588 University of Texas at Arlington · $109,699 University of Texas at Dallas · $104,749 University of Texas at Tyler · $66,135 Virginia Commonwealth University · $117,530 Farmingdale State College · $64,486 University of Vermont · $82,482 Miami University - Ohio · $106,895 Oregon State University · $105,094 University of Idaho · $114,285 University of Tennessee, Martin · $77,727 Washington State University · $110,404 University of Illinois Chicago · $114,743 Indiana University · $113,083 Purdue University Northwest · $88,205 Rowan University · $56,045 Prairie View A&M University · $86,213 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $90,507 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $96,473 University of New Hampshire · $104,786 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $108,062 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $102,395 Tennessee Technological University · $99,803 Kennesaw State University · $101,182 Cal State Bakersfield · $78,255 State University of New York at Oswego · $84,038 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $114,211 San Jose State University · $137,794 University of Central Oklahoma · $90,580 Valley City State University · $77,291 Bowling Green State University · $89,960 Eastern Washington University · $94,088 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $85,437 Sonoma State University · $133,197 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $93,858 University of Utah · $116,516 University of California, Santa Cruz · $108,506 University of Washington - Tacoma · $110,243 University of Virginia's College at Wise · $86,356 Michigan State University · $103,444 Arkansas Tech University · $78,447 Fort Hays State University · $79,902 Iowa State University · $117,624 Lamar University · $88,405 Montana Technological University · $97,411 Saint Cloud State University · $106,487 South Dakota State University · $108,037 Southern Utah University · $86,224 University of Arizona · $108,109 University of Cincinnati · $97,766 Wichita State University · $106,611 Michigan Technological University · $105,021 University of California, Riverside · $105,131 University of Washington - Bothell · $140,907 Arizona State University · $108,343 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $100,830 Florida Gulf Coast University · $109,142 Northern Arizona University · $113,617 North Dakota State University · $98,455 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $116,350 Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton · $96,098 San Francisco State University · $98,025 Western Washington University · $121,755 University of South Alabama · $91,498 Kansas State University · $116,617 University of Wyoming · $87,547 Cal State San Marcos · $84,816 Texas A&M University - Texarkana · $77,702 Virginia State University · $104,413 University of California, Merced · $96,591 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $108,520 West Texas A&M University · $112,565 Shawnee State University · $78,545 Utah Valley University · $113,509 Fairfield University · $101,185 Santa Clara University · $130,855 Southern Methodist University · $115,827 Texas Christian University · $110,673 Loyola Marymount University · $109,876 Liberty University · $118,028 Baylor University · $111,142 University of San Diego · $130,599 Walla Walla University · $98,525 William Penn University · $88,016 Milligan University · $94,458 Olivet Nazarene University · $94,789 Bellarmine University · $90,978 Harding University · $110,143 Concordia University Ann Arbor · $74,893 University of Mobile · $75,371 Franciscan University of Steubenville · $94,121 California Baptist University · $75,833 Brigham Young University · $149,461 Concordia University Wisconsin · $77,989 Abilene Christian University · $94,119 Saint Leo University · $69,376 Saint Martin's University · $73,883 University of Detroit Mercy · $96,504 Chapman University · $106,481 Le Moyne College · $89,910 Morningside University · $78,835 Loyola University Chicago · $94,804 Baldwin Wallace University · $87,385 Holy Family University · $107,375 University of Indianapolis · $78,004 Gonzaga University · $109,227 University of Mount Union · $94,209 Seattle University · $120,575 University of Northwestern - St Paul · $101,494 George Fox University · $99,140 Siena College · $100,508 Gannon University · $76,582 Houston Christian University · $89,343 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $86,472 DePaul University · $94,667 St. Mary's University · $80,360 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion · $87,281 University of the Incarnate Word · $62,684 Hardin-Simmons University · $85,524 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $114,618 Oklahoma Christian University · $95,182 Rochester University · $74,068 Blue Mountain Christian University · $75,723 University of Miami · $99,691 Hampton University · $89,944 Syracuse University · $116,132 University of Rochester · $148,772 Howard University · $99,506 Stevens Institute of Technology · $125,494 Quinnipiac University · $76,996 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $142,090 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $143,453 Indiana Institute of Technology · $79,191 Florida Institute of Technology · $111,543 Bradley University · $91,488 Rochester Institute of Technology · $128,897 Roger Williams University · $99,284 University of New Haven · $92,715 Wilkes University · $121,660 University of Bridgeport · $87,944 Clarkson University · $111,604 Trine University · $81,885 University of Hartford · $75,289 University of the Pacific · $88,638 Butler University · $94,516 Husson University · $89,827 Drexel University · $119,066 Monmouth University · $98,567 University of Denver · $95,207 Nova Southeastern University · $126,174 National University · $74,951 Georgia Tech · $152,626 University of California, Berkeley · $201,729 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $149,173 UCLA · $135,970 University of Georgia · $104,451 Purdue University · $153,090 North Carolina State University · $114,489 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $165,505 University of California, San Diego · $142,705 MIT · $206,801 Stanford University · $221,819 University of Pennsylvania · $169,349 Johns Hopkins University · $175,650 Rice University · $215,952 Carnegie Mellon University · $253,580 Vanderbilt University · $165,652 Cornell University · $206,801 Tufts University · $158,444 University of Southern California · $156,501 Case Western Reserve University · $126,288 Northeastern University · $140,139 Military: mean $108,417 STEM Non-Research: mean $120,635 Liberal Arts: mean $97,208 Public University: mean $100,738 Religious University: mean $95,451 Private University: mean $103,947 Public University 1–15: mean $146,638 Private University 1–30: mean $183,081 All colleges: p10 $78,447 All colleges: p90 $137,794
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Computer Science (Eng) 278 40,841 78% / 22% 10% $111,324 96%
Computer Science 191 35,339 78% / 22% 11% $110,215 96%
Computer Programming 38 1,124 78% / 22% 4% $91,160 96%
Computer Science and Engineering 9 955 79% / 21% 11% $107,275 94%
Software Engineering 29 943 82% / 18% 5% $100,924 96%
Computer Software Engineering 46 859 79% / 21% 8% $96,483 98%
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences 1 505 78% / 22% 12% $210,366 97%
Computer Science and Engineering (Course 6-3) 1 323 58% / 42% 12% $206,801 94%
Computer Science and Software Engineering 2 278 75% / 25% 5% $129,081 94%
Computer Science and Systems 1 163 79% / 21% 3% $110,243 93%
Computer Systems Engineering 1 149 83% / 17% 13% $111,678 91%
Computer Engineering and Computer Science 1 50 56% / 44% 12% $142,380 93%
Computer Science (Games) 1 47 57% / 43% 17% $145,846 91%
Computing and Software Systems 1 46 67% / 33% 9% $110,243 93%
Computer Programming, Specific Applications 4 31 90% / 10% 6% $97,732 94%
Computational Science 2 23 70% / 30% 13% $115,884
Computing Studies 1 5 80% / 20% 20% $79,222 95%
Computing Sciences 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $82,481