2025 Best Colleges for Computer Engineering

March 23, 2025

Computer engineering is surging in popularity at colleges and universities across the U.S., and gaining admission to one of the best programs is increasingly competitive. This growth mirrors broader trends, as K鈥12 systems expand access to STEM education and emphasize coding, robotics, and hands-on tech skills. These shifts also reflect the growing role of technology in nearly every industry. Attending one of the Best Colleges for Computer Engineering on our list can launch graduates into a dynamic, high-demand, and well-paying career.

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In order to rank the best undergraduate programs in computer engineering, we analyzed institution- and program-level data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics as reported by , salary and other outcomes collected by and , and peer assessment data collected through a number of different college rankings systems and surveys, including our own. Click here for a further breakdown of our methodology.

Best Colleges for Computer Engineering

Here鈥檚 a quick preview of the best colleges for Computer Engineering. Detailed profiles and stats for these and 20 other ranked CE programs can be found when you scroll below.

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Rankings for Related Programs

After reviewing our list of best Computer Engineering programs BELOW, please also feel free to check out our rankings of other computing and tech-related programs:

#1 Best College for Computer Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

  • Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with roughly one-third containing single digits and 68% having an enrollment of nineteen or fewer. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office, and many others participated through various outside arrangements. Between 500-600 students study abroad for a semester each year in such countries as Japan, China, and Germany.

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 74% of recent grads were employed, and 17% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, TikTok, and NVIDIA. With an average starting salary of $124,107, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally.

  • Enrollment: 7,289
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,697
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#2 for Computer Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Cambridge, MA

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates pursue one of 58 majors and 59 minors at this world-class research institution. The student-to-faculty ratio is an astonishing 3-to-1, and even with a substantial focus on graduate programs, the class sizes are intimate. Over two-fifths of all class sections have single-digit enrollments, and 66% of courses contain fewer than twenty students. MIT is known for having one of the best formalized undergraduate research programs in the country. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) operates year-round and helped connect 93%+ of students to a research experience with an MIT faculty member. Studying abroad is strongly encouraged; almost half participate.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2023 saw 49% of its members enter the world of employment and 43% continue on their educational paths. The top employers included Amazon, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Google, General Motors, the US Navy, Apple, Bain & Company, and McKinsey. The median starting salary for an MIT bachelor鈥檚 degree holder was $110,000. The most frequently attended graduate schools are a who鈥檚 who of elite institutions including MIT itself, Stanford, Cornell, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 4,567
  • Cost of Attendance: $82,730
  • Median SAT: 1550
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 5%
  • Retention Rate: 99%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#3 for Computer Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: Being a large research university, the student-to-faculty ratio is a less-than-ideal 18:1, leading to some larger undergraduate class sections. In fact, 51% of courses had enrollments of more than thirty students in 2023. On the other end of the spectrum, 9% of sections had single-digit enrollments. While not all of your professors will know you by name, there are plenty of ways that motivated students can strike up meaningful faculty-student relationships, with nearly 50% collaborating on research with professors at some point during their undergraduate career. Fifty-two percent of Tech students have gone abroad by the time they graduate, with a growing number electing to complete internships in a foreign land rather than academic coursework. In a given year, 130+ undergraduate students participate in a global internship.

Professional Outcomes: More than three-quarters of recent grads had already procured employment by the time they were handed their diplomas. You will find graduates at every major technology company in the world. Recent employers include Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Capital One, and Apple. The median salary of the Class of 2023 was $84,000, with recent grads settling mostly in the Atlanta metro area. The next three most popular destinations are San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, DC.

  • Enrollment: 19,505
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,524 (In-State); $49,636 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1450
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 16%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

#4 for Computer Engineering
University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

  • Berkeley, CA

Academic Highlights: More than 150 undergraduate majors and minors are available across six schools. Undergrads will encounter a mix of large lectures (20% of sections contain more than 50 students) and tiny, single-digit enrollments in seminar-style courses (21% of sections contain nine or fewer students). Plenty of undergraduate research opportunities exist, with many facilitated by the Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarships; 48% of students participate in research during their time at Berkeley. Over 200 study abroad opportunities are available for those who desire them, and approximately 1,800 undergrads take advantage each year.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 53% of Cal鈥檚 Class of 2023 had already secured employment, and 17% were headed to graduate school. The median starting salary was $94,000 across all majors. Thousands of alumni can be found in the offices of Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, and 500+ Golden Bears are currently employed by NVIDIA and LinkedIn. The school is the number one all-time producer of Peace Corps volunteers. For those continuing their education, most chose to stay at UC Berkeley, with Stanford, the University of Southern California, Columbia, and Harvard rounding out the top five grad school destinations.

  • Enrollment: 33,078
  • Cost of Attendance: $45,053 (In-State); $75,830 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#5 for Computer Engineering
Princeton University

Princeton University

  • Princeton, NJ

Academic Highlights: An absurdly low 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio does, as you might expect, translate to tiny class sizes for undergraduates. Just under three-quarters of class sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 32% have fewer than ten students. Princeton is known for its commitment to undergraduate teaching, and students consistently rate professors as accessible and helpful. The Office of Undergraduate Research assists Tigers in locating faculty members with whom they can jointly conduct research in the summer or during a regular term. More than four hundred study abroad programs, internships, and experiences are available in over 140 countries; 61% of students ultimately engage in at least one international experience.

Professional Highlights: Over 93% of a typical Tiger class has found their next destination within six months of graduating. Companies presently employing hundreds of Tiger alumni include Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Meta. The average salary reported by 2023 graduates was $89k across all majors. Between 15-20% of graduating Tigers head directly to graduate/professional school. Tigers typically choose equally prestigious graduate schools to attend. Members of one recent class flocked in the largest numbers to Stanford, Penn, Princeton, Harvard, Cambridge, Columbia, and Oxford in that order.

  • Enrollment: 5,671
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,040
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

#6 for Computer Engineering
University of Michigan

University of Michigan

  • Ann Arbor, MI

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges. Michigan sports a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 18% of classes contain 50 or more students, but a solid 53% of classes offer a more intimate experience with fewer than 20 students. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program draws in 1,300 participants each year who partner with 800+ research mentors. For students in all academic programs at Michigan, study abroad opportunities are taken advantage of at high rates. In fact, the university is second in the nation in the number of students it sends to study in foreign lands.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school. The median salary across all majors is approximately 70k. Top employers include PwC, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Citi, Bank of America, and Capital One.聽 Within six months, 93% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $99k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft employ the greatest number of alumni.

  • Enrollment: 33,730
  • Cost of Attendance: $34,782 (In-State); $75,626 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 18%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#7 for Computer Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. Illinois鈥 student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1 is high even for a public institution, but the school still manages to keep 39% of sections capped at 19 students. Further, 40% of undergraduates participate in research; over 800 students each year present at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Unique opportunities for experiential learning abound at Research Park, an on-campus technology hub and business incubator that hosts more than 120 major corporations and 800 student interns.

Professional Outcomes: 91% of recent UIUC grads landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 35% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 56% were employed full-time. Corporations landing the most recent Illinois grads were Amazon, Deloitte, Epic, KPMG, and PwC. The average salary across all majors was an extremely solid $76,000. Two-thirds of graduates remained in the Land of Lincoln; California and New York commandeer the next greatest percentages of migrating alumni.

  • Enrollment: 35,564
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,642 (In-State); $52,139 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1410
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 44%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#8 for Computer Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin

  • Austin, TX

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 170 majors. Sn encouraging 36% of course sections enroll nineteen or fewer students. Opportunities for undergraduate research vary by school, and many student must compete for slots in programs such as Summer聽Research Scholars or use the Eureka database to find individual professors offering research assistantships. A robust study abroad program boasts 400 offerings in 100+ foreign countries; 4,600+ students participate each year, the third-largest number in the country.

Professional Outcomes:聽 Over 1000 alumni work in the offices of Dell, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Deloitte; IBM, Meta, Oracle, and AMD employ over 500 each. Graduates early in their careers earn a median salary of $77,400, with median mid-career pay reaching $141,100. Roughly one-quarter of University of Texas at Austin undergraduates go on to pursue advanced degrees after completing their bachelor鈥檚. Many pursue advanced study at UT Austin itself, which offers more than one hundred graduate programs. Many alumni stay in Texas after graduation, settling in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

  • Enrollment: 42,444
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,572 (In-State); $62,672 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 29%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#9 for Computer Engineering
Cornell University

Cornell University

  • Ithaca, NY

Academic Highlights: Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 54% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Introductory courses sometimes take place in larger lecture halls, so 24% of courses have an enrollment of more than forty students. Undergraduates do give their professors generally high marks: 88% report being satisfied with the instruction they have received, 48% report completing a thesis/research project, and 53% conducted research with a faculty member. Members of Big Red can choose from study abroad opportunities in more than forty countries, and roughly one-third participate.

Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 63% entered the workforce, 26% entered graduate school, 2% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 4% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. Graduates earned a median salary of $85,000. Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 13% pursued JDs, 4% MDs, and 25% PhDs. Popular destinations included staying at Cornell, other Ivies, Stanford, MIT, universities in the UC system, or abroad at Oxford, Cambridge, the University of Toronto, or the University of St. Andrews

  • Enrollment: 16,051
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,140
  • Median SAT: 1520
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#10 Best College for Computer Engineering
Purdue University 鈥 West Lafayette

Purdue University 鈥 West Lafayette

  • West Lafayette, IN

Academic Highlights: Purdue offers over 200 majors at ten discipline-specific colleges, and 37% of course sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer. Undergraduates conduct more than 2,000 research projects per year; they can connect with professors during the academic year or apply to participate in a Summer Research Fellowship. Discipline-specific research programs, a research pitch competition, research conferences & symposiums, and publishing opportunities abound. 1,300 students per year elect to study abroad at one of 400 programs in 50 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 65% of 2023 grads headed to the world of employment while 25% headed to graduate/professional school. Companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Eli Lilly & Company, Amazon, Deloitte, JP Morgan Chase, PepsiCo, and Cummins, Inc. The average starting salary was $71k across all degree programs. The majority of alumni remain in Indiana with Illinois, California, Texas, New York, and Wisconsin rounding out the five next most common destinations.

  • Enrollment: 39,864
  • Cost of Attendance: $24,882 (In-State); $43,434 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1320
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 50%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#11 for Computer Engineering
University of Washington 鈥 Seattle

University of Washington 鈥 Seattle

  • Seattle, WA

Academic Highlights: 180+ undergraduate majors are offered across twelve colleges/schools. Twenty-six percent of sections contain 50 or more students compared to 29% of sections that contain fewer than 20. Still, there are opportunities for personal connections with professors as evidenced by the fact that 80% of graduates complete research during their four years at UW. The study abroad rate of participation has climbed steadily since the turn of the millennium; 3,000 students each year spend a semester in a foreign locale.

Professional Outcomes: Within months of graduation, 62% of Class of 2023 grads were employed and 24% were continuing their education. The most popular employers of the Class of 2023 included Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Seattle Children’s, and Deloitte. Across all living alumni, 6,000+ work for Microsoft, and 4000+ work for each of Boeing and Amazon. Of those headed to graduate/professional school, most remain at UW itself. Large numbers of 2023 grads also headed to Columbia, UPenn, USC, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 39,515
  • Cost of Attendance: $34,552 (In-State); $63,906 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1410
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#12 for Computer Engineering
Columbia University

Columbia University

  • New York, NY

Academic Highlights: The academic experience at Columbia is driven by the famed Core Curriculum that lays out an extensive to-do list that includes highly specified courses rather than categorical requirements. Class sizes at Columbia are reasonably small and the student-to-faculty ratio is favorable; however, in 2022, it was revealed that the university had been submitting faulty data in this area. It is presently believed that 59% of undergraduate courses enroll 19 or fewer students. More than 570 students per year participate in the Columbia Overseas Program. A little over one-quarter of the students leave Manhattan for a foreign country during their four years of study. Undergraduate research is taken seriously by the university, which offers multiple avenues through which students can work side-by-side with faculty on their projects or pursue funding for their own original research ideas.

Professional Outcomes: The companies hiring the largest number of Lions in 2023 were among the most desirable employers in the world including Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Google, Citi, McKinsey, and Microsoft. Those moving on to graduate/professional school were welcomed in large numbers into other universities of Columbia鈥檚 ilk. In addition to remaining at Columbia (the most popular choice), the top ten institutions attended were Stanford, Harvard, NYU, Yale, Carnegie Mellon, UChicago, Oxford, Princeton, and MIT.

  • Enrollment: 9,111
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,587
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#13 for Computer Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

  • Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights: Close to half of classrooms contain fewer than twenty Bruins, but those taking introductory courses will find themselves in a fair number of lecture halls with a hundred or more students. Professors are given impressively high marks for a research university of UCLA鈥檚 size. 93% of College of Letters and Science seniors rate their professors as being intellectually challenging. By the time they graduate, 45% of undergraduates have participated in a research experience. Every year, roughly one-quarter of the undergraduate population elects to study abroad, a sharp increase from only a few years ago. UCLA has 115 partner universities in 40+ countries around the globe.

Professional Outcomes: Thousands of alumni can be found working at Google, Amazon, and Apple. Companies that employ over 100 Bruins each include Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, TikTok, NVIDIA, and LinkedIn.聽Ultimately, one-third of UCLA grads go on to enroll in graduate/professional school, with many choosing to stay at their alma mater. Otherwise, the most attended grad schools are primarily other excellent California-based institutions including Stanford, USC, and Berkeley. For graduates early in their careers, the median salary is $78,600, with mid-career median earnings reaching over $149k. Many alumni remain in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area after graduating; other popular destinations include the San Francisco Bay area and New York City.

  • Enrollment: 33,040
  • Cost of Attendance: $38,031 (In-State); $68,808 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 9%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#14 for Computer Engineering
Duke University

Duke University

  • Durham, NC

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are on the small side鈥74% are nineteen or fewer, and almost one-quarter are less than ten. A stellar 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps keep classes so reasonable even while catering to five figures worth of graduate students. The Undergraduate Research Support Office does great work connecting students with opportunities to conduct research, either over the summer or during the regular school year. All told, more than half of undergraduates conduct research. More Duke students pursue a semester abroad than students at any other top ten research institution鈥攔oughly half elect to venture off to one of the school鈥檚 300 partner programs scattered around the world.

Professional Outcomes: At graduation, approximately 76% of Duke diploma-earners enter the world of work, 17% continue into graduate schools, and 7% start their own businesses. Companies employing multiple Duke grads per year include Google, Capital One, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Accenture, and a host of other top-shelf corporations in the areas of technology, finance, and consulting. Eventually, 84% of Duke undergraduates will go on to earn an advanced degree One-third of Duke alumni elect to stay in North Carolina. New York, California, DC, and Massachusetts follow in聽popularity.

  • Enrollment: 6,488
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,072
  • SAT Median: 1550
  • ACT Median: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#15 for Computer Engineering
University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

  • Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights: 90 distinct degrees are available across four schools. The university boasts an exceptional 27% of courses with an enrollment under ten and 58% with an enrollment under twenty鈥攓uite an achievement for a school of Penn鈥檚 massive size. It also offers multiple ways for undergrads to conduct research, whether through independent studies or working side-by-side with faculty members. The university publishes 12 distinct journals featuring original undergraduate research. Penn ranks first among Ivies in study abroad participation rate; each year, over 1,400 students head off to earn a semester鈥檚 credit in one of 50 countries.

Professional Outcomes: 76% of Class of 2023 grads were employed within six months of graduating, and 16% were in graduate school. Employers hiring the greatest number of 2023 grads included McKinsey & Company, Penn Medicine, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Goldman Sachs. The median starting salary for all graduates is $100,000. For those continuing their educational journeys, the most popular move is to remain at Penn, followed by Harvard and Columbia.

  • Enrollment: 11,611
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,028
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

#16 for Computer Engineering
Rice University

Rice University

  • Houston, TX

Academic Highlights: Boasting a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1, Rice offers a spectacularly intimate learning experience. Class sizes are ideally small with 66% containing fewer than 20 students and a median class size of only fifteen. Undergraduate research opportunities abound with approximately 70% of graduates participating in academic research during their four years. Those experiences are open to freshmen through the Century Scholars Program and to all underclassmen through the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program. Study abroad options are available in over fifty countries, including collaborative programs with some of the top schools in the world including The London School of Economics, Oxford, and Cambridge.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 88% of recent Rice grads have found careers or a graduate school home. Companies that employ many recent grads include Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, Google, and Accenture. Over four hundred alumni work at Baylor College of Medicine, and over 200 work at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Across all majors, the average starting salary is $89k. Texas is among the most common destinations for recent grads, but many also flock to San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Chicago.

  • Enrollment: 4,574
  • Cost of Attendance: $78,278
  • Median SAT: 1550
  • Median SAT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#17 for Computer Engineering
University of California, San Diego

University of California, San Diego

  • San Diego, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 140+ undergraduate majors offered at UCSD, and all students join one of eight undergraduate colleges meant to forge flourishing communities within the larger university. While 26% of course sections are held in larger lecture halls and contain 50+ students, 42% of undergraduate courses sport an enrollment under 20. Twenty percent of undergrads assist faculty with at least one research project during their time at the university; Roughly one-third of undergraduate study abroad per year, and over 400 opportunities in 40+ countries are available for those who desire a semester of study outside of the United States.

Professional Outcomes: Employers of recent graduates included Amazon, Boeing, EY, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, Oracle, Qualcomm, and Tesla. More than 1,000 current Google employees are UC San Diego alumni, and Apple, Meta, and Microsoft all employ 500+ each. The median early career salary is $70,000 across all majors, placing the university in the top 10 public universities in the country. UCSD also fares well in measures of its return-on-investment potential.

  • Enrollment: 33,792
  • Cost of Attendance: $38,505 (In-State); $69,282 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 25%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#18 for Computer Engineering
University of Southern California

University of Southern California

  • Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights: Aided by a favorable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the school does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities. Each school/college has a course entitled Directed Research 490 in which students work closely with a faculty supervisor and earn between two and eight credits, countless other opportunities exist to get one鈥檚 hands dirty in academic research. Each department has its own slate of study abroad offerings and Maymester programs, which are short-term intensive courses held stateside and abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The median salary across all majors is an astounding $85k. Presently, between 500 and 2,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Oracle. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2023 USC grads include Columbia, UCLA, Pepperdine, and Harvard, with most remaining at USC for their advanced studies.

  • Enrollment: 21,023
  • Cost of Attendance: $90,453
  • Median SAT: 1510
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 10%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

#19 for Computer Engineering
Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University

  • Baltimore, MD

Academic Highlights: Boasting an enviable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and with close to 80% of course sections possessing an enrollment under 20, face time with professors is a reality. That presents a phenomenal opportunity to learn directly from a group that includes four Nobel Laureates, four Medal of Science winners, and two recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Fitting for America鈥檚 first research university, 70% of JHU undergraduates complete a research experience while working closely with a faculty member. Each year, hundreds of students receive significant funding for independent projects through the Hopkins Office for Undergraduate Research.

Professional Outcomes: Ninety-four percent of recent graduates successfully land at their next destination within six months of exiting the university; 69% of graduates entered the world of employment and a robust 20% went directly to graduate/professional school. The median starting salary across all majors was $80,000 with top employers including Amazon, DCPS, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon. Blue Jays pursue further education at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Northwestern, Stanford, and JHU.

  • Enrollment: 6,089
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,065
  • Median SAT: 1550
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#20 Best College for Computer Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  • Blacksburg, VA

Academic Highlights: Eight undergraduate colleges that offer 150+ distinct majors are housed within Virginia Tech. 34% of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. Overall, 19% of recent graduates report participating in some type of undergraduate research experience, but landing such opportunities is much easier for members of the Honors College. Each year, more than 1,200 students avail themselves of the chance to study abroad in locations such as Switzerland, New Zealand, France, and Scotland.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 37% of the Class of 2023 were employed and 14% were in graduate school. Graduates work at major corporations including Deloitte, EY, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Kimley-Horn, Northrop Grumman, and Accenture. The median salary for 2023 graduates was $70,000. Among recent grads who decided to pursue an advanced degree, the greatest number stayed at VT, while others enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, George Washington University, UVA, UNC Chapel Hill, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 30,504
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,252 (In-State); $58,468 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 57%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

#21 for Computer Engineering
University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland, College Park

  • College Park, MD

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can select from 100+ majors across twelve colleges and schools. 47% of class sections enroll fewer than twenty students. Undergraduate research opportunities are within reach as 21% of recent graduates completed one. The Office of Undergraduate Research facilitates numerous opportunities throughout the year, and hosts an annual Undergraduate Research Day and Summer Undergraduate Research Conference at which 550+ students make presentations. Fourteen percent of students also pursue a study abroad experience at one of 300+ destinations in 60 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 94% of Class of 2023 grads had positive outcomes. 71% found employment; the companies/organizations that hired the greatest number of grads included Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, Capital One, and Montgomery County Public Schools. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft employ more than 900 alumni each.聽 The salary range for 2023 grads was between $60k and $86k. 21% of the Class of 2023 headed directly to graduate and professional school.

  • Enrollment: 30,608
  • Cost of Attendance: $30,885 (In-State); $59,686 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1460
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 45%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#22 for Computer Engineering
University of Wisconsin 鈥 Madison

University of Wisconsin 鈥 Madison

  • Madison, WI

Academic Highlights: There are 230+ undergraduate majors offered across eight schools and colleges, Undergrads can expect a mix of large and small classes, with 43% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. Undergraduate research opportunities exist, but the onus is on the student to show initiative and procure the placement. Still, 44% of recent grads engaged in research, and the school hosts an annual Undergraduate Symposium where 600 students presented in 2024. Participation is much higher when it comes to study abroad programs; 25% of students take advantage each year and there are 325 programs in 80 countries to choose from.

Professional Outcomes: In 2023, 72% of job-seeking grads graduated with an offer.聽 Top employers included UW-Madison, Epic, UW Health, the State of Wisconsin, Kohl’s, and Deloitte. Across all graduating years, companies employing 250+ alumni include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Target, Apple, Meta, and Salesforce. Class of 2023 grads enrolled in graduate/professional programs at a rate of 28%; volunteering is also a popular path post-graduation for UW-Madison alumni as the university is the #1 producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

  • Enrollment: 36,797
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,905 (In-State); $58,303 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1450
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#23 for Computer Engineering
Northwestern University

Northwestern University

  • Evanston, IL

Academic Highlights: The quarter system allows students to take four courses at a time rather than the typical five. Even so, the academic demands are intense, and Northwestern students work hard for their grades. The university has a phenomenal 6:1 student-faculty ratio, and a spectacular 39% of class sections have nine or fewer students enrolled; 76% have fewer than twenty enrollees. Faculty receive generally favorable reviews from undergraduate students and are rated as being highly accessible outside of the classroom. Fifty-eight percent of recent grads had the chance to conduct research with a faculty member at some point during their undergraduate years.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 70% of the Class of 2023 had found employment and 25% were in graduate school. Employers include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Deloitte, McKinsey & Co., and Salesforce. Across all majors, the average starting salary was $77k. The vast majority of Northwestern graduates can be found in Illinois, with the next largest concentration of alums living in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

  • Enrollment: 9,157
  • Cost of Attendance: $91,290
  • Median SAT: 1530
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#24 for Computer Engineering
Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University

  • Nashville, TN

Academic Highlights: With a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, undergraduate class sizes are kept small. In the 2023-24 school year, 26% of course sections contained nine or fewer students, and 61% contained 19 or fewer. Undergraduate research opportunities can be found as part of the classroom聽curriculum, through capstone experiences, or through the Vanderbilt University Summer Research Program; 58% of undergrads conduct research during their four years. Half of all Commodores are adventurous enough to study abroad, and over 80% of those who do say the experience helped them build job skills. The university offers 120 programs in 40 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 95% of the Class of 2023 were employed or in graduate school. Alumni can be found in droves at Capital One, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, VUMC, Amazon, and Bank of America. Among 2023 alumni who directly pursued advanced degrees, the majority enrolled at Vanderbilt followed by Columbia, UPenn, NYU, Harvard, Yale, Duke, and Northwestern. The greatest number of recent alumni stayed in the Greater Nashville area but large pockets also assembled in New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Mid-career median salaries for Vanderbilt graduates are number one in the state by a wide margin; the median figure is $86,000.

  • Enrollment: 7,152
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,590
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#25 for Computer Engineering
Tufts University

Tufts University

  • Medford, MA

Academic Highlights: Classes are small, especially when considering the school鈥檚 legitimate research university status. Seventeen percent of all courses see fewer than ten students enrolled, and 63% have sub-twenty enrollments. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1. Across all colleges, 60% of students participate in a research project at some point during their collegiate experience. . A substantial segment of the student body, 40-45%, study abroad, either at Tufts鈥 campus in Talloires, one of nine Tufts-sponsored programs in locales such as Chile, Ghana, Hong Kong, and Madrid, or one of eighty pre-approved programs around the globe.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after earning their diplomas, 96% of 2023 graduates were employed or attending graduate school. Prolific employers of Tufts alums include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and McKinsey & Company. Of the 20% of 2023 grads who went directly to graduate school, 82% were accepted into their first-choice institution. Most Tufts alumni remain in the Boston area, but many also head to New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, DC, and Chicago.

  • Enrollment: 6,877
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,300
  • Median SAT: 1510
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 10%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#26 for Computer Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis

  • St. Louis, MO

Academic Highlights: WashU admits students into four schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs.The university has a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students; over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. The Office of Undergraduate Research helps students land opportunities to research alongside faculty, primarily in the summers. A solid 60% of undergraduates report participating in a research endeavor and one-third study abroad.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2023 sent 65% of grads into the workforce and 23% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Boeing, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Mastercard, Capital One, and Bayer. Of the employed members of the Class of 2023 who reported their starting salaries, the median salary was $85k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, UPenn, University of Michigan, Vanderbilt, and Yale.

  • Enrollment: 8,267
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,488
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%

#27 for Computer Engineering
University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

  • Notre Dame, IN

Academic Highlights: 75 majors are offered across six undergraduate colleges. A solid 61% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 18% have single-digit numbers. Just 9% of courses have an enrollment of more than 50 undergrads. The Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement offers hundreds of opportunities for conducting research, both individually and alongside faculty; more than one-third of graduates ultimately partake. One of the top universities for study abroad participation, 87% of Notre Dame undergrads select one of 50+ programs in 35 countries; the satisfaction rate for study abroad experiences is above 90%.

Professional Outcomes: A spectacular 98% of 2023 Notre Dame graduates were employed, continuing their educations, volunteering, or serving in the military within six months of completing their degrees. Top companies where recent alumni set up shop included Deloitte, EY, PwC, Microsoft, Amazon, Bank of America, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and McKinsey & Co. The median starting salary across all majors is $82,000, a mark that is significantly higher than the national average for college grads. The highest concentration of recent alumni can be found in Illinois followed by New York, Indiana, California, and Texas.

  • Enrollment: 8,968
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,271
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

#28 for Computer Engineering
Lehigh University

Lehigh University

  • Bethlehem, PA

Academic Highlights: Lehigh has a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, but classes aren鈥檛 as tiny as one might expect with such favorable staffing numbers. The average class size is 28 but, on the plus side, 41% of courses have enrollments of 19 or fewer. Undergraduate research is commonplace, particularly within the engineering school. Each year, 40% of engineering students gain faculty-led research experience. Additionally, 40% of graduates engage in some type of international experience, whether it鈥檚 a semester of academic study abroad or a foreign-based internship. Roughly half of those students took courses in one of 250 study abroad programs approved by the university.

Professional Outcomes: Recent grads quickly found their way toward the next productive step in their lives with 95% landing jobs or grad school placements within six months of leaving Lehigh. The average starting salary for a recent grad is $76,000. Top employers include Amazon, Citigroup, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, ExxonMobil, GE, Google, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Merck, and Microsoft, CBS, People Magazine, and the National Institutes of Health. Twenty-four percent of recent diploma-earners head straight to graduate school and enrolled in programs at Harvard, Temple, Columbia, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Rice, and Vanderbilt.

  • Enrollment: 5,811
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,150
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 29%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#29 for Computer Engineering
Bucknell University

Bucknell University

  • Lewisburg, PA

Academic Highlights: Getting well-acquainted with your professors is easy with a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, and class sizes are reasonably small. Slightly more than half of courses at Bucknell unfold in a classroom of no more than nineteen students, and approximately 90% of all sections enroll fewer than twenty-nine students. All of Bucknell鈥檚 full-time professors spend some of their time teaching undergraduates. More than 500 take advantage of research opportunities on campus

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after graduation, 93% of Bucknell’s most recent graduating class had launched their careers or entered graduate school. Across all disciplines, the average salary for a聽 grad was $72,735,聽 which is well above average when compared to other liberal arts colleges. Geographically, most Bucknell grads remain concentrated in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and the DC metro area.

  • Enrollment: 3,846
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,790
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 32%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

#30 Best College for Computer Engineering
University of Virginia

University of Virginia

  • Charlottesville, VA

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can study within one of eight colleges/schools, which all offer many small classes; 14% boast single-digit enrollment and 48% contain 19 or fewer students. Undergraduate research opportunities can be challenging to uncover at any large school where graduate students get the prime spots, yet, UVA does offer a multitude of formal opportunities as well as the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and three undergraduate research journals. The classroom at UVA extends well beyond Charlottesville as one-fifth enjoy a semester abroad through one of fifty programs around the world.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their degree, 86% of the Class of 2023 immediately joined the workforce鈥搘ith an average starting salary of $82k鈥搊r headed directly to graduate school.聽 Capital One (58), Amazon (45), Deloitte (41), and Accenture (34) scooped up the greatest number of 2023 grads. UVA itself was the most popular grad school destination followed by Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Duke.

  • Enrollment: 17,612
  • Cost of Attendance: $39,926 (In-State); $76,954 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1490
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Computer Engineering to be useful. We also encourage you to check out our other resources and tools as you continue with your college search: