Best institutions to study Computer Engineering
Compare 373 U.S. colleges offering Computer Engineering by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 52 states.
Computer Engineering programs report a median of $78,915 one year after graduation (College Scorecard, 2024), and map to CIP 14.09 and the Computer Hardware Engineers occupation (BLS SOC).
About Computer Engineering programs
The Computer Engineering program combines principles of computer science and engineering, focusing on the design and development of computer hardware and software systems. This program is ideal for students interested in the intersection of technology and engineering, preparing them for a dynamic field that evolves rapidly with advancements in technology.
Students in this program will develop critical skills in areas such as mathematics, electronics, and design. Coursework typically includes topics related to computer hardware, software engineering, and the integration of systems, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of computer engineering.
Top 50 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $141,588 | 28 | 85% | — | $16,127 |
| 2 | University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $141,588 | 13 | 65% | — | $16,127 |
| 3 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $118,232 | 72 | 96% | — | $16,875 |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $111,560 | 112 | 86% | — | $20,556 |
| 5 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $111,145 | 164 | 97% | $16,260 | $14,500 |
| 6 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $103,804 | 370 | 88% | $44,094 | $24,666 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $103,123 | 458 | 85% | — | $20,500 |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $102,083 | 64 | 96% | $15,315 | — |
| 9 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $101,832 | 5 | 61% | $39,863 | — |
| 10 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $99,499 | 1,390 | 91% | $18,925 | $25,005 |
| 11 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $96,418 | 102 | 86% | — | $12,804 |
| 12 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $96,256 | 295 | 86% | — | $18,497 |
| 13 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · Bachelor's degree | $95,847 | 93 | 89% | — | $20,695 |
| 14 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $94,228 | 59 | 92% | $33,774 | $26,000 |
| 15 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $93,995 | 116 | 89% | $21,956 | $26,866 |
| 16 | Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA Public · Bachelor's degree | $93,629 | 132 | 94% | — | $25,399 |
| 17 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $92,501 | 369 | 93% | — | $20,500 |
| 18 | Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $92,123 | 68 | 78% | $36,775 | $24,834 |
| 19 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $91,387 | 54 | 83% | — | $14,410 |
| 20 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $90,829 | 261 | 70% | $28,133 | $28,500 |
| 21 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $90,171 | 35 | 86% | $30,675 | — |
| 22 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $89,965 | 455 | 83% | — | $23,000 |
| 23 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · Bachelor's degree | $89,605 | 72 | 65% | — | $19,375 |
| 24 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $89,418 | 171 | 78% | $36,004 | $28,166 |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · Bachelor's degree | $89,327 | 73 | 83% | — | $27,000 |
| 26 | Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $89,001 | 199 | 87% | $34,827 | $26,930 |
| 27 | University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH Public · Bachelor's degree | $88,904 | 13 | 76% | — | $21,500 |
| 28 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $88,785 | 51 | 81% | $13,712 | $10,750 |
| 29 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $87,949 | 139 | 91% | — | $22,562 |
| 30 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $87,466 | 159 | 68% | — | $26,697 |
| 31 | Portland State University Portland, OR Public · Bachelor's degree | $87,259 | 27 | 53% | — | $35,166 |
| 32 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $87,135 | 37 | 60% | — | $21,750 |
| 33 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $86,938 | 80 | 82% | — | $23,945 |
| 34 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $86,636 | 345 | 86% | — | $26,000 |
| 35 | University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD Public · Bachelor's degree | $86,444 | 54 | 70% | — | $19,988 |
| 36 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $86,366 | 277 | 84% | — | $22,816 |
| 37 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · Bachelor's degree | $85,672 | 68 | 85% | — | $23,000 |
| 38 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $85,619 | 45 | 69% | — | $27,000 |
| 39 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · Bachelor's degree | $85,564 | 58 | 45% | — | $14,563 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $85,446 | 93 | 86% | — | $26,708 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania State University - World Campus University Park, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $85,446 | 121 | 34% | — | $26,708 |
| 42 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · Bachelor's degree | $85,280 | 77 | 65% | — | $27,000 |
| 43 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $84,793 | 60 | 84% | $28,851 | — |
| 44 | The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $84,241 | 11 | 86% | — | $25,725 |
| 45 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $83,934 | 64 | 81% | — | $24,999 |
| 46 | University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL Public · Bachelor's degree | $83,909 | 81 | 64% | — | $26,825 |
| 47 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $83,660 | 69 | 77% | — | $27,250 |
| 48 | University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR Public · Bachelor's degree | $83,545 | 104 | 49% | — | $10,300 |
| 49 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · Bachelor's degree | $83,489 | 114 | 75% | — | $21,875 |
| 50 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · Bachelor's degree | $83,342 | 571 | 88% | — | $20,247 |
Offered across 52 states & territories
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 17-2061, Computer Hardware Engineers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Computer Engineering program can expect a promising career outlook, with a projected growth rate of 7.3% and approximately 4,700 annual job openings. The median wage for professionals in this field is around $155,020, and a typical educational requirement is a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Computer Engineering
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 14.09.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 14.09 (Computer Engineering) maps to 7 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 11-9041 | Architectural and Engineering Managers |
| 15-1241 | Computer Network Architects |
| 15-1243 | Database Architects |
| 15-1252 | Software Developers |
| 15-1253 | Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers |
| 17-2061 | Computer Hardware Engineersprimary |
| 25-1032 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Computer Engineering programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
What graduates do on the job
- Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
- Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
- Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
- Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
- Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
Concentrations within Computer Engineering
Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).
- Computer Engineering, GeneralCIP 14.0901
A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of computer hardware and software systems and relate
- Computer Hardware EngineeringCIP 14.0902
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development, and evaluation of computer hardware and related peripheral equipment
- Computer Software EngineeringCIP 14.0903
A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, analysis, verification, validation, implementation, and maintenance of computer software systems usin
- Computer Engineering, OtherCIP 14.0999
Any instructional program in computer engineering not listed above.
Common questions
What is Computer Engineering?+
Computer Engineering is a field that merges computer science and engineering, focusing on the design and development of computer systems.
What skills will I learn?+
You will learn critical thinking, mathematics, electronics, design, and effective communication skills.
What are the job prospects?+
The job outlook is strong, with a growth rate of 7.3% and around 4,700 openings annually.
What is the average salary?+
The median wage for computer engineering professionals is approximately $155,020.
How much do Computer Engineering graduates earn?+
Computer Engineering graduates report median earnings of $78,915 one year after graduation, per College Scorecard (2024); the Computer Hardware Engineers occupation pays about $162,670 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Computer Engineering?+
Computer Engineering maps to CIP 14.09 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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