Best Colleges for Engineering in 2025–26

30 colleges with strong engineering programs, ranked by size and selectivity.

Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA

55% acceptance$19,286 in-state

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

78.9% acceptance$17,850 in-state

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

48% acceptance$12,643 in-state

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, NJ

66% acceptance$16,592 in-state

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

86.1% acceptance$13,926 in-state

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA

60.6% acceptance$20,644 in-state

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

84.8% acceptance$16,458 in-state

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

80% acceptance$11,580 in-state

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA

90.5% acceptance$7,470 in-state

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL

43.2% acceptance$6,410 in-state

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA

46.3% acceptance$7,350 in-state

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

36.2% acceptance$8,728 in-state

University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC

68% acceptance$13,178 in-state

University of Tennessee

Knoxville, TN

78% acceptance$13,264 in-state

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, CO

84% acceptance$12,748 in-state

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

76.7% acceptance$12,180 in-state

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT

67.8% acceptance$6,688 in-state

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA

93.5% acceptance$7,458 in-state

SUNY Buffalo

Buffalo, NY

72% acceptance$10,546 in-state

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA

41.8% acceptance$16,774 in-state

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA

39.2% acceptance$12,973 in-state

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX

86.8% acceptance$9,011 in-state

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA

28.6% acceptance$15,722 in-state

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR

74.3% acceptance$10,104 in-state

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA

94% acceptance$8,018 in-state

SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY

49% acceptance$10,556 in-state

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

45.9% acceptance$12,890 in-state

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

16.3% acceptance$21,426 in-state

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO

88.5% acceptance$13,373 in-state

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

92.9% acceptance$13,502 in-state

About engineering as a major

Engineering is one of the few college majors that essentially guarantees a high-paying job out of college — provided you complete the rigorous coursework. The major splits into a dozen distinct disciplines (mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, aerospace, biomedical, computer, environmental, industrial, materials, nuclear, petroleum) and the path you choose at age 18 has big career implications. Mechanical and civil engineering are the broadest. Electrical and computer engineering lean closest to software and chip design. Chemical and petroleum engineers go heavily into energy and pharmaceutical industries. Biomedical engineers go into medical devices and pre-med. The schools at the very top of US engineering (MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Berkeley, CMU, Georgia Tech, Michigan, UIUC, Purdue) maintain that ranking through deep research funding, top faculty, and dense industry recruiting pipelines.

Salary range

$70,000 – $95,000 median starting; petroleum and computer engineering top the list at $90,000-$110,000+

Study path

4-year BS (5 years if co-op). Core: math (through differential equations) + physics + chemistry + thermodynamics or circuits depending on discipline. Year 3-4 is discipline-specific coursework + senior design project.

How to choose a engineering program

ABET accreditation is essential for licensure — required for civil, environmental, and most other PE-track engineering disciplines. Research which engineering disciplines the school excels at — a school strong in mechanical may not be as strong in biomedical. Look for undergraduate research opportunities (NSF REU programs, faculty labs that take undergrads, REU-equivalent during school year) and industry capstone projects in senior year. Co-op programs (Georgia Tech, Northeastern, Drexel, Cincinnati, Waterloo) are huge — you graduate with 12-18 months of full-time engineering work experience and usually a return offer in hand. Class size matters more for engineering than for other majors; you want lab access, hands-on equipment, and instructor attention.

Common career paths for engineering graduates

Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Software Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Aerospace Engineer, Chemical Engineer, Petroleum Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Materials Engineer, Industrial Engineer

Real careers, real salaries

See all →
Software Developer$132K
+25% by 2032
Mechanical Engineer$100K
+10% by 2032
Civil Engineer$96K
+5% by 2032
AI / Machine Learning Engineer$145K
+26% by 2032

Scholarships for engineering students

There are scholarships specifically for students studying engineering. Search our database to find awards you qualify for.

Find engineering scholarships →
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Last updated: November 2025. Live acceptance rates and tuition pulled from each college's most recent reporting.

KidToCollege is free to use and editorially independent. Data sourced from public records including IPEDS, Common Data Sets, College Board and FAFSA.gov. Always verify deadlines and requirements directly with institutions. Not a guarantee of admission or financial aid.