Best Schools for Engineering, General

Engineering, General graduates earn a median of $91,424 within four years of graduating, ranking #30 out of 283 tracked majors — 46% above the median across all fields. There are 67 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 2,686 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Franklin W Olin College of Engineering graduates earn $135,136 while College of Staten Island CUNY graduates earn $72,716 — a $62,420 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.

Early career salary growth is modest: Engineering, General graduates see an average 2% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

67
Schools
$91,424
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#30
of 283 Majors
2,686
Graduates

Public vs Private: Engineering, General

Public (35 schools)
$89,483
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (32 schools)
$93,299
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $3,816 more in early earnings on average for Engineering, General graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Engineering, General by State

Also by state: Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington

Top Engineering, General Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering logo

Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

Needham, MA · Private

$135,136
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $75,706 (20)
1yr: $91,352 (37)
Acceptance: 21.7%
#2
Cornell University logo

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$128,207
4yr Earnings
22 grads · small sample
2yr: $74,576 (24)
1yr: $57,169 (18)
Acceptance: 8.2%
#3
Harvey Mudd College logo

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA · Private

$122,845
4yr Earnings
60 grads
2yr: $81,997 (43)
1yr: $81,948 (59)
Acceptance: 13.1%
#4
University of California-Davis logo

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public

$114,228
4yr Earnings
114 grads
2yr: $70,370 (96)
1yr: $74,487 (122)
Acceptance: 41.6%
#5
Carnegie Mellon University logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private

$110,208
4yr Earnings
26 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 11.4%
#6
Brown University logo

Brown University

Providence, RI · Private

$108,550
4yr Earnings
59 grads
2yr: $75,921 (45)
1yr: $70,583 (70)
Acceptance: 5.2%
#7
McNeese State University logo

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, LA · Public

$107,319
4yr Earnings
92 grads
2yr: $69,338 (63)
1yr: $64,056 (79)
Acceptance: 67.5%
#8
Seattle Pacific University logo

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA · Private

$106,291
4yr Earnings
26 grads · small sample
1yr: $56,566 (22)
Acceptance: 91.1%
#9
Lafayette College logo

Lafayette College

Easton, PA · Private

$104,222
4yr Earnings
25 grads · small sample
2yr: $72,403 (19)
1yr: $67,714 (18)
Acceptance: 31.5%
#10
Michigan State University logo

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public

$102,301
4yr Earnings
128 grads
2yr: $63,997 (51)
1yr: $66,191 (125)
Acceptance: 83.9%
#11
University of Virginia-Main Campus logo

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

$101,078
4yr Earnings
26 grads · small sample
2yr: $51,273 (22)
1yr: $54,356 (33)
Acceptance: 16.9%
#12
North Carolina State University at Raleigh logo

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC · Public

$99,838
4yr Earnings
35 grads
2yr: $63,997 (14)
1yr: $61,567 (38)
Acceptance: 39.9%
#13
Frostburg State University logo

Frostburg State University

Frostburg, MD · Public

$99,671
4yr Earnings
47 grads
2yr: $63,005 (12)
1yr: $58,995 (46)
Acceptance: 89.4%
#14
Wentworth Institute of Technology logo

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA · Private

$96,695
4yr Earnings
21 grads · small sample
1yr: $67,445 (26)
Acceptance: 85.4%
#15
Arizona State University Campus Immersion logo

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ · Public

$94,332
4yr Earnings
219 grads
2yr: $68,666 (102)
1yr: $63,561 (152)
Acceptance: 90.2%
#16
Texas Christian University logo

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX · Private

$93,753
4yr Earnings
43 grads
2yr: $69,338 (27)
1yr: $63,234 (40)
Acceptance: 42.6%
#17
University of Missouri-Columbia logo

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO · Public

$92,426
4yr Earnings
28 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 77.0%
#18
University of Southern Indiana logo

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, IN · Public

$92,209
4yr Earnings
35 grads
2yr: $64,087 (55)
1yr: $63,165 (49)
Acceptance: 94.7%
#19
James Madison University logo

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA · Public

$91,761
4yr Earnings
61 grads
2yr: $57,943 (71)
1yr: $64,114 (45)
Acceptance: 76.3%
#20
University of Alabama in Huntsville logo

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville, AL · Public

$91,645
4yr Earnings
28 grads · small sample
2yr: $54,644 (16)
1yr: $67,098 (27)
Acceptance: 74.3%
#21
Walla Walla University logo

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA · Private

$91,473
4yr Earnings
50 grads
2yr: $60,568 (37)
1yr: $52,324 (38)
Acceptance: N/A
#22
George Fox University logo

George Fox University

Newberg, OR · Private

$91,427
4yr Earnings
83 grads
2yr: $60,230 (44)
1yr: $64,179 (81)
Acceptance: 96.4%
#23
John Brown University logo

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR · Private

$90,783
4yr Earnings
29 grads · small sample
2yr: $65,573 (18)
1yr: $62,958 (35)
Acceptance: 67.6%
#24
Mercer University logo

Mercer University

Macon, GA · Private

$88,413
4yr Earnings
144 grads
2yr: $49,729 (42)
1yr: $62,626 (69)
Acceptance: 66.5%
#25
University of North Carolina Asheville logo

University of North Carolina Asheville

Asheville, NC · Public

$88,346
4yr Earnings
33 grads
2yr: $63,005 (11)
1yr: $62,948 (35)
Acceptance: 93.9%
#26
Elizabethtown College logo

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA · Private

$88,104
4yr Earnings
37 grads
2yr: $62,508 (30)
1yr: $60,381 (44)
Acceptance: 76.8%
#27
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine logo

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine

Media, PA · Public

$88,063
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
2yr: $61,516 (19)
1yr: $55,455 (26)
Acceptance: 95.3%
#28
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois logo

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois

DuBois, PA · Public

$88,063
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
2yr: $61,516 (19)
1yr: $55,455 (26)
Acceptance: 92.5%
#29
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton logo

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton

Hazleton, PA · Public

$88,063
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
2yr: $61,516 (19)
1yr: $55,455 (26)
Acceptance: 91.0%
#30
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus logo

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA · Public

$88,063
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
2yr: $61,516 (19)
1yr: $55,455 (26)
Acceptance: 54.2%
#31
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington logo

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington

Abington, PA · Public

$88,063
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
2yr: $61,516 (19)
1yr: $55,455 (26)
Acceptance: 92.0%
#32
Stony Brook University logo

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY · Public

$87,517
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $62,154 (35)
1yr: $63,263 (41)
Acceptance: 49.0%
#33
The University of Tennessee-Martin logo

The University of Tennessee-Martin

Martin, TN · Public

$87,043
4yr Earnings
37 grads
2yr: $56,415 (38)
1yr: $53,659 (45)
Acceptance: 87.3%
#34
Loyola University Maryland logo

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD · Private

$86,585
4yr Earnings
40 grads
2yr: $61,516 (32)
1yr: $67,844 (42)
Acceptance: 76.3%
#35
Robert Morris University logo

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, PA · Private

$86,444
4yr Earnings
123 grads
2yr: $48,041 (36)
1yr: $54,446 (124)
Acceptance: 90.6%
#36
Wilkes University logo

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, PA · Private

$86,308
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $53,984 (15)
1yr: $60,305 (22)
Acceptance: 91.5%
#37
Smith College logo

Smith College

Northampton, MA · Private

$86,262
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
1yr: $62,496 (34)
Acceptance: 19.7%
#38
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities logo

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$86,148
4yr Earnings
112 grads
1yr: $62,547 (65)
Acceptance: 77.0%
#39
Northwest Nazarene University logo

Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID · Private

$85,643
4yr Earnings
26 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 62.9%
#40
Messiah University logo

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA · Private

$84,927
4yr Earnings
76 grads
2yr: $60,623 (50)
1yr: $57,515 (90)
Acceptance: 78.5%
#41
East Carolina University logo

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC · Public

$84,847
4yr Earnings
156 grads
2yr: $58,447 (103)
1yr: $61,056 (144)
Acceptance: 90.1%
#42
Baylor University logo

Baylor University

Waco, TX · Private

$84,689
4yr Earnings
19 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 51.0%
#43
Oral Roberts University logo

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, OK · Private

$84,649
4yr Earnings
37 grads
2yr: $57,318 (12)
1yr: $60,813 (31)
Acceptance: 98.6%
#44
Saint Vincent College logo

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, PA · Private

$84,180
4yr Earnings
33 grads
Acceptance: 59.1%
#45
Minnesota State University-Mankato logo

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN · Public

$82,903
4yr Earnings
43 grads
2yr: $63,302 (29)
1yr: $58,743 (42)
Acceptance: 91.3%
#46
Olivet Nazarene University logo

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL · Private

$82,632
4yr Earnings
82 grads
2yr: $63,997 (36)
1yr: $61,282 (82)
Acceptance: 66.9%
#47
Hope College logo

Hope College

Holland, MI · Private

$82,513
4yr Earnings
60 grads
2yr: $67,101 (44)
1yr: $62,322 (59)
Acceptance: 75.8%
#48
Western Carolina University logo

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC · Public

$82,500
4yr Earnings
36 grads
1yr: $62,214 (19)
Acceptance: 86.7%
#49
Calvin University logo

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI · Private

$82,326
4yr Earnings
104 grads
2yr: $65,188 (74)
1yr: $62,088 (108)
Acceptance: 71.3%
#50
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga logo

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN · Public

$81,757
4yr Earnings
19 grads · small sample
2yr: $69,338 (19)
1yr: $54,615 (27)
Acceptance: 77.0%

Showing top 50 of 67 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Engineering, General?
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering ranks #1 for Engineering, General with median graduate earnings of $135,136 within four years of graduating. There are 67 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Engineering, General graduates earn?
Engineering, General graduates earn an average of $91,424 within four years of graduating. This is 46% above the median across all majors. Earnings range from $72,716 to $135,136 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Engineering, General program?
The average acceptance rate across Engineering, General programs is 67.7%. The most selective program is at Brown University with a 5.2% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Engineering, General?
Private Engineering, General programs average $93,299 in early earnings vs $89,483 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.

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