Engineering major

Engineering: courses, careers, and where to study

Engineering majors apply math, physics, and design to build the physical and digital systems that power society, from bridges and chips to medical devices and aircraft.

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Engineering earn a median $89,359 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $73,449 to $108,835 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

Engineering is an umbrella term for ABET-accredited programs in mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, biomedical, aerospace, industrial, and computer engineering. Every engineering BS includes 3–4 semesters of calculus, differential equations, and physics, plus a discipline-specific sequence (thermodynamics, circuits, statics, fluid mechanics, etc.) and a senior capstone design project.

Engineering programs are credit-heavy, usually 128+ credits versus 120 for a BA, and many require a Fundamentals of Engineering exam pass for licensure tracks. Graduates can pursue a Professional Engineer (PE) license after 4 years of supervised work.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Engineering maps to CIP 14.0101, Engineering, General, within the ENGINEERING family. The official definition:

A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to solve a wide variety of practical problems in industry, social organization, public works, and commerce. Includes instruction in undifferentiated and individualized programs in engineering.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Engineering is awarded as

Of the 14,266 Engineering credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: 5%, 714 credentials.
  • Associate: 39%, 5,510 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 23%, 3,333 credentials.
  • Graduate: 33%, 4,709 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 36 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 16 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • Calculus I–III, differential equations, linear algebra
  • Physics (mechanics, electromagnetism)
  • Engineering statics, dynamics, materials
  • Discipline-specific core (e.g., circuits for EE, thermo for ME)
  • Engineering design process and project management
  • CAD, simulation, and lab techniques
  • Engineering ethics and professional practice
  • Senior capstone design project (often industry-sponsored)

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $73,000–$110,000 early-career (varies widely by discipline; BLS, 2024 mechanical engineers median $102,320)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Engineering graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Engineering earn a median $89,359 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $73,449 to $108,835 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Engineering, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$89,359$73,449 to $108,835
Associate's$72,916$52,003 to $88,560
Undergraduate certificate$79,019$60,880 to $95,779
Master's$120,215$97,333 to $152,041

Compare Engineering programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Engineering programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Engineering, General. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Engineering, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Engineering by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Architectural and Engineering Managers$167,74014,500+3.8%Bachelor's degree
Engineers, All Other$117,7509,300+2.1%Bachelor's degree
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary$106,1204,100+8.1%Doctoral or professional degree

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Engineering does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Engineering major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Engineering program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Engineering department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Engineering and some computing programs may hold ABET accreditation, which can matter for professional licensure (the PE path) and for some employers and graduate schools. Check whether the Engineering programs you are considering are accredited for your goals.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Engineering careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Engineering program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Engineering credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Engineering schools

Where Engineering credentials were awarded

29 states have a distinct enough set of Engineering colleges to be worth its own page.

Engineering by state

Every Engineering program with its own CampusPin page

12 programs in 8 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Engineering programs in California, 1 program
Engineering programs in Georgia, 1 program
Engineering programs in Illinois, 1 program
Engineering programs in Michigan, 3 programs
Engineering programs in North Carolina, 1 program
Engineering programs in Pennsylvania, 3 programs
Engineering programs in Texas, 1 program
Engineering programs in Virginia, 1 program

Related majors

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Engineering degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Management careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

Explore Engineering & Architecture careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Engineering degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Engineering path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.