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Electrical & Computer Engineering

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Electrical and computer engineering connects circuits, electronics, and signals with the hardware and software inside computing systems. Early courses cover calculus, physics, circuits, digital logic, programming, and data structures. Depending on the program, later courses focus on power systems, communications, control systems, semiconductors, computer architecture, embedded systems, or firmware.

Labs and design projects are central: you might build an amplifier, program a microcontroller, design digital logic, or connect sensors and software into a working device. Electrical engineering tracks lean more toward electricity and signals; computer engineering tracks put more emphasis on digital hardware and low-level software.

What you'll do after college

Grads design electronic and computing systems, including processors, wireless equipment, power systems, embedded devices, and control systems. Roles can involve circuit design, simulation, firmware development, hardware testing, or coordinating with manufacturing teams.

Graduate study can provide further specialization in areas such as chip design, computer architecture, communications, and research.

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
  • 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

$105,151
1,210
100–93%
$106,571
2,361
93–86%
$108,336
3,630
86–79%
$110,707
4,807
79–65%
$113,012
4,817
65–41%
$128,749
3,723
41–27%
$134,021
2,236
27–9%
$150,165
1,189
9–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$105,220
987
400–1060
$106,327
1,983
1060–1140
$107,976
2,952
1140–1220
$110,817
3,910
1230–1290
$116,532
3,946
1300–1380
$125,601
2,962
1380–1460
$138,485
1,989
1460–1520
$165,605
978
1520–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category

$93,863p10 $126,965p90 STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% Stevens Institute of Technology · $114,439 Florida Institute of Technology · $103,813 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $110,198 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $106,794 Rochester Institute of Technology · $124,058 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $107,360 Kettering University · $116,104 New Jersey Institute of Technology · $103,226 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $110,990 SUNY Maritime College · $118,399 Cal Poly - Pomona · $103,302 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $111,930 Virginia Military Institute · $63,564 Florida Polytechnic University · $88,988 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $92,365 Clarkson University · $99,197 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $111,822 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $97,969 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · $120,653 Lawrence Technological University · $114,572 Montana Technological University · $110,375 Michigan Technological University · $103,852 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $102,299 Oregon Institute of Technology · $101,862 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $117,316 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $99,349 Lafayette College · $130,779 Bucknell University · $157,684 Claflin University · $93,527 Union College · $113,823 Grove City College · $109,191 Dordt University · $108,955 North Central College · $96,942 Taylor University · $99,237 Lipscomb University · $101,727 York College of Pennsylvania · $106,266 Westminster College · $113,308 University of Georgia · $113,332 Southern University and A&M College · $99,641 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $155,288 Binghamton University · $108,690 San Diego State University · $108,142 Alabama A&M University · $107,503 University of California, Santa Barbara · $132,972 North Carolina State University · $111,148 University of South Florida · $102,622 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $135,023 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $114,644 University of Washington · $137,079 Clemson University · $100,535 University of Central Florida · $105,928 Purdue University · $126,965 Texas A&M International University · $112,617 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $116,821 University of Maryland, College Park · $143,900 Cal State Long Beach · $97,471 University of California, Davis · $113,776 State University of New York at New Paltz · $86,379 Auburn University · $117,497 Stony Brook University · $102,162 Ohio State University · $114,395 North Carolina A&T State University · $109,562 Texas A&M University - College Station · $118,943 Cal State Fullerton · $96,103 Norfolk State University · $99,223 Northern Illinois University · $107,139 Tarleton State University · $91,490 University of West Florida · $98,994 University of Connecticut · $109,305 Virginia Tech · $128,031 Pennsylvania State University · $113,683 University of South Carolina · $117,322 New Mexico State University · $110,828 CUNY City College · $106,816 Central Connecticut State University · $104,293 Florida Atlantic University · $95,442 West Texas A&M University · $114,128 University of Pittsburgh · $116,979 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $110,310 University of New Mexico · $120,750 Florida International University · $95,572 College of New Jersey · $108,287 Jackson State University · $110,954 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $96,783 Texas Southern University · $89,486 West Virginia University Institute of Technology · $111,136 Fresno State · $96,963 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $115,615 University of Texas Permian Basin · $106,518 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $97,270 Western Carolina University · $96,108 Eastern Michigan University · $94,593 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $114,605 University at Albany · $105,686 University of North Florida · $93,507 Texas Tech University · $113,120 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $106,060 University of Texas at Dallas · $107,467 Georgia Southern University · $102,040 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $91,493 Tennessee State University · $93,188 Eastern Illinois University · $93,639 University of Colorado Boulder · $107,967 Louisiana State University · $118,065 University of Alabama · $117,033 University of Delaware · $106,698 College of Charleston · $100,673 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $96,859 Louisiana Tech University · $112,958 Wright State University · $106,544 Western Illinois University · $100,315 Wichita State University · $100,808 University of California, Santa Cruz · $119,757 Augusta University · $100,918 University of Vermont · $115,632 Oklahoma State University · $107,773 University of Arkansas · $117,246 Miami University - Ohio · $108,508 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $109,701 University of Colorado Denver · $109,109 University of Rhode Island · $108,642 Cal State East Bay · $99,841 Henderson State University · $104,592 University of Idaho · $99,109 University of Louisville · $118,446 University of Houston · $115,764 University of Illinois Chicago · $103,751 Purdue University Northwest · $96,122 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $114,711 Rowan University · $100,439 Prairie View A&M University · $110,072 University of Missouri · $120,191 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $119,132 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $104,817 University of Louisiana at Lafayette · $101,056 University of New Hampshire · $99,028 Youngstown State University · $92,981 Arkansas State University · $117,374 Saginaw Valley State University · $117,983 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $120,538 Oregon State University · $102,047 Tennessee Technological University · $107,425 University of Massachusetts Boston · $95,406 Kennesaw State University · $105,124 University of Iowa · $121,266 Cal State Bakersfield · $87,786 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $111,112 Portland State University · $104,450 State University of New York at Oswego · $106,191 Texas A&M University - Texarkana · $78,181 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $119,359 University of Toledo · $101,396 San Jose State University · $132,569 University at Buffalo · $93,546 University of Texas at Arlington · $107,818 University of Central Oklahoma · $96,421 University of New Orleans · $105,394 University of North Texas · $108,940 Bowling Green State University · $104,662 Eastern Washington University · $89,082 Kent State University at Kent · $94,494 Morgan State University · $100,982 Shepherd University · $93,640 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $96,896 Sonoma State University · $104,342 University of North Dakota · $147,605 University of Utah · $112,532 University of Washington - Tacoma · $129,851 Purdue University Fort Wayne · $101,587 Western Michigan University · $103,401 University of Nevada, Reno · $95,717 Michigan State University · $114,430 Stephen F. Austin State University · $95,530 Lamar University · $103,527 University of Arizona · $108,067 Mississippi State University · $108,074 Wayne State University · $111,577 Boise State University · $103,994 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $101,213 Cal State San Bernardino · $89,292 Fort Lewis College · $97,693 Saint Cloud State University · $107,661 South Dakota State University · $117,866 University of Akron · $103,645 University of Maine · $104,554 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $101,454 West Virginia University · $111,267 Ohio University · $110,743 University of Southern Maine · $110,375 University of California, Riverside · $101,889 Washington State University · $109,790 Temple University · $114,012 University of Washington - Bothell · $130,228 George Mason University · $108,018 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $109,981 Iowa State University · $116,857 Cal State Northridge · $97,645 University of Cincinnati · $113,532 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $92,095 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $99,208 Arizona State University · $108,253 Cleveland State University · $101,847 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $108,611 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $114,486 Virginia State University · $91,810 Fitchburg State University · $69,891 Christopher Newport University · $120,575 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $103,686 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $97,407 Oakland University · $109,362 Northern Arizona University · $100,381 Cal State Los Angeles · $97,191 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $105,580 Central Michigan University · $96,732 University of Texas at San Antonio · $99,801 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay · $91,154 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $98,750 Chico State · $94,497 Texas State University · $106,901 Old Dominion University · $100,152 Western Kentucky University · $114,694 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $108,853 North Dakota State University · $109,615 Pennsylvania State University - Abington · $119,788 Pennsylvania State University - Erie-Behrend College · $110,050 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $99,655 Utah State University · $110,503 University of Southern Mississippi · $96,419 University of Kansas · $117,143 Virginia Commonwealth University · $116,060 Grand Valley State University · $103,857 San Francisco State University · $104,183 University of Memphis · $95,111 University of Kentucky · $112,303 Cal State Sacramento · $101,130 Western Washington University · $106,951 University of Alabama at Birmingham · $103,089 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $102,235 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $113,990 University of South Alabama · $109,503 University of Texas at Tyler · $108,514 College of Staten Island CUNY · $85,550 Kansas State University · $115,495 University of Wyoming · $103,620 Cal State San Marcos · $107,100 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $99,870 University of Southern Indiana · $98,711 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $111,809 Marshall University · $104,386 Idaho State University · $106,009 University of Mississippi · $121,957 Arkansas Tech University · $115,662 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $102,169 Montana State University · $104,990 University of Texas at El Paso · $93,665 Lake Superior State University · $92,939 University of the District of Columbia · $96,802 Utah Valley University · $120,672 Weber State University · $110,235 Regent University · $95,866 Wilberforce University · $100,688 Union University · $108,635 Johnson C. Smith University · $83,869 Santa Clara University · $160,532 Southern Methodist University · $107,521 Loyola Marymount University · $128,283 Liberty University · $96,461 Mississippi Christian University · $94,154 Baylor University · $118,051 John Brown University · $109,504 University of San Diego · $105,294 LeTourneau University · $103,252 Walla Walla University · $104,362 Alvernia University · $101,052 Capital University · $105,173 Milligan University · $108,752 University of Dayton · $112,035 Anderson University · $97,847 Cedarville University · $109,792 Harding University · $114,032 Manhattan University · $94,999 Merrimack College · $93,863 MidAmerica Nazarene University · $96,058 Spring Arbor University · $101,547 Sacred Heart University · $93,452 Stonehill College · $113,557 Rockhurst University · $98,710 Brigham Young University · $121,993 California Baptist University · $93,106 Ohio Northern University · $103,448 Lewis University · $94,718 University of Detroit Mercy · $106,865 Chapman University · $102,610 Saint Elizabeth University · $98,340 Southern Adventist University · $111,851 Saint Louis University · $110,873 University of Tulsa · $106,424 Loyola University Chicago · $119,485 Marquette University · $105,870 Trevecca Nazarene University · $96,984 University of Indianapolis · $98,008 The Master's University and Seminary · $97,616 University of Mary · $95,013 Gonzaga University · $116,120 University of Mount Union · $91,583 University of Scranton · $101,151 University of Portland · $110,895 Messiah University · $90,761 Seattle University · $104,472 Gannon University · $93,458 Houston Christian University · $91,839 Benedict College · $81,605 Catholic University of America · $104,530 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $98,200 DePaul University · $109,564 Valparaiso University · $96,400 Seattle Pacific University · $105,497 St. Mary's University · $85,878 George Fox University · $100,053 Bellarmine University · $98,636 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $106,457 Christian Brothers University · $100,025 Oklahoma Christian University · $96,237 University of Saint Thomas (TX) · $95,100 Case Western Reserve University · $113,015 University of Rochester · $106,654 Howard University · $124,052 George Washington University · $123,677 Tuskegee University · $104,258 Syracuse University · $115,610 Illinois Institute of Technology · $112,218 Jacksonville University · $98,506 University of New Haven · $98,577 Hampton University · $102,470 Hofstra University · $91,629 University of the Pacific · $119,497 Indiana Institute of Technology · $98,445 Bradley University · $110,566 Trine University · $106,067 Drexel University · $121,294 Curry College · $95,037 New York Institute of Technology · $90,835 Point Park University · $87,201 University of Bridgeport · $97,382 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus · $76,127 Widener University · $109,386 University of Denver · $110,037 Hawaii Pacific University · $93,405 Norwich University · $105,396 Western New England University · $99,137 Wilkes University · $106,179 University of Hartford · $101,358 National University · $103,505 Lehigh University · $122,111 University of Florida · $125,180 Florida State University · $111,695 University of Texas at Austin · $148,233 University of California, San Diego · $125,121 University of California, Irvine · $112,237 Fairfield University · $110,087 Villanova University · $115,737 United States Coast Guard Academy · $117,589 Colorado School of Mines · $108,369 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $125,919 Tufts University · $116,742 Carnegie Mellon University · $197,233 University of Southern California · $126,534 Washington University in St Louis · $126,299 Boston University · $136,304 Northeastern University · $131,145 University of Miami · $99,893 Georgia Tech · $128,707 University of Virginia · $144,173 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $128,696 Florida A&M University · $90,566 Cooper Union · $127,027 United States Air Force Academy · $119,977 United States Military Academy · $116,719 Yale University · $164,929 Caltech · $161,537 Stanford University · $155,091 Harvard University · $163,664 Princeton University · $149,093 MIT · $170,669 Columbia University · $135,756 University of Pennsylvania · $160,326 Duke University · $198,126 Vanderbilt University · $145,899 Johns Hopkins University · $135,549 Brown University · $141,853 Northwestern University · $143,947 Rice University · $141,020 Cornell University · $159,404 New York University · $117,347 UCLA · $150,137 University of Notre Dame · $134,600 Olin College of Engineering · $153,570 United States Naval Academy · $118,213 STEM, Business & Military: mean $105,954 Liberal Arts: mean $111,949 Public University: mean $106,851 Religious University: mean $103,062 Private University: mean $104,190 20–30%: mean $120,207 10–20%: mean $127,858 0–10%: mean $150,037 All colleges: p10 $93,863 All colleges: p90 $126,965
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Electrical & Computer Engineering 407 23,973 84% / 16% 9% $110,761 97%
Electrical Engineering 346 12,933 85% / 15% 8% $106,311 98%
Computer Engineering 278 8,842 85% / 15% 11% $112,962 97%
Electrical & Computer Engineering 26 2,002 76% / 24% 11% $126,354 97%
Computer Hardware Engineering 4 63 86% / 14% 5% $138,090 98%
Electrical Engineering with Computing (Course 6-5) 1 59 68% / 32% 10% $170,669 99%
Robotics Engineering 1 35 69% / 31% 3% $124,453
Microelectronic Engineering 1 16 94% / 6% 0% $125,267
Computer Engineering and Systems 1 10 80% / 20% 0% $173,260 94%
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 5 6 83% / 17% 17% $99,623
Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering 1 5 100% / 0% 0% $176,248 94%
Systems Engineering (EE) 2 2 100% / 0% 0% $116,200
Computer Engineering and Computer Science 1 0 $146,514 94%