Best Schools for Systems Engineering in 2026
These are the top schools offering Systems Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Systems Engineering graduate earns $75,193/yr across 11 schools.
All Systems 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 |
Systems Engineering
University of Florida · Gainesville, FL |
77
69–79 |
$85,698/yr | Very High | 41.3x |
| 2 |
Systems Engineering
George Mason University · Fairfax, VA |
74
66–77 |
$84,942/yr | Very High | 20.9x |
| 3 |
Systems Engineering
University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC |
73
66–75 |
$68,034/yr | Very High | 29.9x |
| 4 |
Systems Engineering
University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ |
72
64–74 |
$76,660/yr | Very High | 18.1x |
| 5 |
Systems Engineering
Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Buzzards Bay, MA |
74
67–75 |
$79,942/yr | Very High | 17.5x |
| 6 |
Systems Engineering
Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA |
72
65–74 |
$62,015/yr | Very High | 25.8x |
| 7 |
Systems Engineering
University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA |
70
62–73 |
$91,178/yr | Very High | 14.6x |
| 8 |
Systems Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
70
64–70 |
$81,785/yr | Very High | 11.8x |
| 9 |
Systems Engineering
Texas A & M International University · Laredo, TX |
66
59–67 |
$49,755/yr | Very High | 14.9x |
| 10 |
Systems Engineering
Washington University in St Louis · Saint Louis, MO |
57
50–58 |
$83,874/yr | Very High | 2.3x |
| 11 |
Systems Engineering
Otterbein University · Westerville, OH |
55
48–57 |
$63,243/yr | Very High | 3.5x |
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.