Best Schools for Engineering in 2026
47 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Engineering graduate earns $69,223/yr across 47 schools.
Programs Ranked
47
Avg Earnings
$69,223/yr
Avg DW Score
60/100
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
All Engineering Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Engineering
McNeese State University · Lake Charles, LA |
73
67–75 |
$75,566/yr | High | 28.4x |
| 2 |
Engineering
University of North Carolina Asheville · Asheville, NC |
72
67–74 |
$73,410/yr | High | 29.7x |
| 3 |
Engineering
University of California-Davis · Davis, CA |
71
65–74 |
$82,956/yr | High | 19.5x |
| 4 |
Engineering
Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ |
70
65–72 |
$74,328/yr | High | 19.4x |
| 5 |
Engineering
University of Southern Indiana · Evansville, IN |
71
66–72 |
$74,976/yr | High | 20.5x |
| 6 |
Engineering
University of Maryland Eastern Shore · Princess Anne, MD |
72
66–73 |
$73,839/yr | High | 19.7x |
| 7 |
Engineering
East Carolina University · Greenville, NC |
70
65–72 |
$65,758/yr | High | 28.1x |
| 8 |
Engineering
Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC |
70
65–72 |
$62,244/yr | High | 33.3x |
| 9 |
Engineering
Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN |
70
64–71 |
$68,044/yr | High | 20.4x |
| 10 |
Engineering
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC |
71
66–72 |
$71,769/yr | High | 19.2x |
| 11 |
Engineering
Marshall University · Huntington, WV |
68
62–70 |
$60,254/yr | High | 22.0x |
| 12 |
Engineering
Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY |
66
59–70 |
$55,437/yr | High | 21.7x |
| 13 |
Engineering
The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN |
68
63–69 |
$63,746/yr | High | 18.0x |
| 14 |
Engineering
Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI |
67
62–68 |
$75,058/yr | High | 14.1x |
| 15 |
Engineering
James Madison University · Harrisonburg, VA |
68
62–68 |
$71,176/yr | High | 15.2x |
| 16 |
Engineering
College of Staten Island CUNY · Staten Island, NY |
66
59–68 |
$48,898/yr | High | 26.0x |
| 17 |
Engineering
Fort Lewis College · Durango, CO |
64
58–66 |
$50,985/yr | High | 18.2x |
| 18 |
Engineering
Frostburg State University · Frostburg, MD |
67
63–67 |
$62,968/yr | High | 14.7x |
| 19 |
Engineering
University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO |
66
62–65 |
$70,366/yr | High | 11.4x |
| 20 |
Engineering
Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL |
63
59–62 |
$66,112/yr | High | 10.1x |
| 21 |
Engineering
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN |
62
58–61 |
$67,413/yr | High | 9.2x |
| 22 |
Engineering
Harvey Mudd College · Claremont, CA |
56
50–58 |
$92,491/yr | High | 3.7x |
| 23 |
Engineering
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering · Needham, MA |
57
52–58 |
$109,455/yr | High | 4.0x |
| 24 |
Engineering
John Brown University · Siloam Springs, AR |
56
50–58 |
$67,911/yr | High | 6.4x |
| 25 |
Engineering
Wentworth Institute of Technology · Boston, MA |
56
51–58 |
$78,211/yr | High | 3.8x |
| 26 |
Engineering
Elizabethtown College · Elizabethtown, PA |
56
51–57 |
$73,003/yr | High | 4.9x |
| 27 |
Engineering
Brown University · Providence, RI |
55
50–57 |
$86,416/yr | High | 3.3x |
| 28 |
Engineering
Mercer University · Macon, GA |
55
50–57 |
$72,403/yr | High | 4.4x |
| 29 |
Engineering
Olivet Nazarene University · Bourbonnais, IL |
54
48–56 |
$66,394/yr | High | 5.1x |
| 30 |
Engineering
Calvin University · Grand Rapids, MI |
54
49–56 |
$68,852/yr | High | 4.7x |
| 31 |
Engineering
Wilkes University · Wilkes-Barre, PA |
55
50–57 |
$74,654/yr | High | 3.4x |
| 32 |
Engineering
Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX |
54
48–56 |
$73,774/yr | High | 3.5x |
| 33 |
Engineering
Walla Walla University · College Place, WA |
54
49–56 |
$66,416/yr | High | 5.2x |
| 34 |
Engineering
Hope College · Holland, MI |
54
48–56 |
$67,410/yr | High | 4.4x |
| 35 |
Engineering
University of Northwestern-St Paul · Saint Paul, MN |
54
49–55 |
$68,516/yr | High | 3.7x |
| 36 |
Engineering
Oral Roberts University · Tulsa, OK |
54
49–55 |
$66,805/yr | High | 3.9x |
| 37 |
Engineering
George Fox University · Newberg, OR |
54
48–56 |
$67,558/yr | High | 4.4x |
| 38 |
Engineering
Geneva College · Beaver Falls, PA |
53
48–55 |
$62,486/yr | High | 4.9x |
| 39 |
Engineering
Seattle Pacific University · Seattle, WA |
55
50–56 |
$71,770/yr | High | 3.6x |
| 40 |
Engineering
Messiah University · Mechanicsburg, PA |
53
47–54 |
$64,871/yr | High | 3.6x |
| 41 |
Engineering
Robert Morris University · Moon Township, PA |
53
47–55 |
$61,163/yr | High | 4.6x |
| 42 |
Engineering
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor · Belton, TX |
53
48–55 |
$63,830/yr | High | 3.8x |
| 43 |
Engineering
Loyola University Maryland · Baltimore, MD |
52
45–54 |
$64,116/yr | High | 3.5x |
| 44 |
Engineering
Lafayette College · Easton, PA |
53
48–54 |
$76,507/yr | High | 2.1x |
| 45 |
Engineering
University of Hartford · West Hartford, CT |
50
43–53 |
$55,076/yr | High | 3.6x |
| 46 |
Engineering
Saint Vincent College · Latrobe, PA |
53
47–53 |
$64,499/yr | High | 2.9x |
| 47 |
Engineering
Smith College · Northampton, MA |
47
41–50 |
$53,571/yr | High | 2.7x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Engineering?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, McNeese State University ranks #1 for Engineering with a score of 73/100 and graduate earnings of $75,566/yr.
How much do Engineering graduates earn?
Across 47 schools, Engineering graduates earn an average of $69,223/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $109,455/yr.
Is Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 51%, rated "High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.