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.
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 13,028 Engineering credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate4%564
- Associate37%4,857
- Bachelor's23%2,959
- Graduate36%4,648
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 36 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 13 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 2023-24, 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
- Mechanical Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Chemical Engineer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Industrial Engineer
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.
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.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,740 | 14,500 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineers, All Other | $117,750 | 9,300 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $106,120 | 4,100 | +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?
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 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University at BuffaloNY · 473
- University of Maryland-College ParkMD · 390
- Northeastern UniversityMA · 388
- University of Detroit MercyMI · 248
- Brown UniversityRI · 209
- Dartmouth CollegeNH · 205
- University of California-Los AngelesCA · 194
- Northern Virginia Community CollegeVA · 193
- Lamar UniversityTX · 166
- Texas A & M University-College StationTX · 155
- Arizona State University Campus ImmersionAZ · 154
- University of Colorado BoulderCO · 128
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. 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.
Where Engineering credentials were awarded
29 states have a distinct enough set of Engineering colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Computer Science
Computer Science combines the mathematical foundations of computation with practical software engineering, preparing graduates for careers in software, AI/ML, security, data, and research.
Mathematics
Mathematics develops formal proof, abstraction, and quantitative analysis, feeding into research, finance, computing, actuarial science, and graduate programs across STEM.
Physics
Physics studies the fundamental laws of matter, energy, and motion, a foundational major for engineering, computing, finance, and graduate research.
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.