25 Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering 2020
We ranked the top 25 schools by median salary one year after college for students who graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. The top ranked school on this list is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at a median salary of $116,600 and a median debt of $13,733. University of California - Berkeley also offers a starting salary of $116,600, but has a slightly higher median debt of $14,347. Cornell’s median student debt is $12,445, the lowest of the schools ranked on this list. Schools on the list boast median starting salaries in the $72,300-$116,600 range.
Tuition, median salaries, and median debt were reported by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2019. View our methodology for more details about these rankings or read more about the top-ranked schools.
2020 Best Colleges Highlights
Learn more about the top colleges for a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering degree. You can also read student reviews of each school by clicking on the stars. Although student reviews were not used as a ranking factor in this list, we provide ratings and reviews so students can consider the experience of alumni in their decision-making process.
MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers two undergraduate programs in Electrical Engineering: Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and Electrical Science and Engineering. The EECS’s curriculum and hands-on coursework aims to prepare graduates for success in a wide range of industries through prioritizing a holistic view of the field, problem-solving skills, and modeling and abstraction.
After completing General Institute Requirements and the Communication Requirements, Electrical Science and Engineering students study circuits and devices, materials and nanotechnology, communications, control and signal processing, and applied physics. Additionally, all EECS students are encouraged to participate in independent study or research as a part of their undergraduate program.
The Electrical Engineering & Computer Science program prepares students for careers and research fields that necessitate knowledge of hardware and software. Course subjects for this program include Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science; Circuits and Electronics; Signals and Systems; Nanoelectronics and Computing Systems, and much more.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded by William Barton Rogers in 1861 to accelerate the United States’ industrial revolution. MIT is a private research university and is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS). After completing the required lower division courses, EECS students may pursue coursework in computer science and/or electrical engineering based on interests. As students near graduation, they will choose between two programs which will be indicated on their transcripts: electrical and computer engineering (ECE) or computer science and engineering (CSE). Students accepted to the EECS honors program will have access to a faculty adviser and opportunities to engage in research.
Program courses include subjects like math, computer science, electrical engineering, physics, reading and composition, and electives in natural science and humanities/social sciences. The College of Engineering also offers EECS students a five-year BS/MS program option and joint major options with Materials Science and Engineering or Nuclear Engineering.
The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university founded in 1868. It is the oldest of the ten University of California campuses and is located 10 miles outside of San Francisco, in Berkeley, California.
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) offers a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering degree. Acknowledging the increasing demand for multidisciplinary engineers who can more broadly evaluate consequences and actions, the ECE focuses on building knowledge of fundamentals with depth and breadth. The program focuses on developing expertise, innovation, and leadership.
Core courses of the program include Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering; Electronic Devices and Analog Circuits; Structure and Design of Digital Systems; Signals and Systems; and Introduction to Computer Systems. Students may also choose coursework from the five areas of study within the ECE department: Device Sciences and Nanofabrication; Signals and Systems; Circuits; Hardware Systems; and Software Systems. All ECE students must complete at least one of the approved Capstone Design courses, which are designed to enhance students’ professional problem-solving and engineering design skills.
The ECE also allows students to participate in the Cooperative Education Program, which invites students to gain valuable work experience relating directly to their career goals. In this program, ECE students are required to work a minimum of eight months, and cannot apply until they have completed their sophomore year.
Founded in 1900 as The Carnegie Technical Schools, Carnegie Mellon University was formed through a merger with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in 1967. Its main campus is located 3 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Cornell University’s Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is designed on a foundation of science, mathematics, computing, and technology. The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering aims to prepare its students to lead responsibly, creatively, and ethically as they discover and apply new knowledge, technologies, and inventions to solve global challenges.
Core courses of the ECE bachelor’s program include Introduction to Circuits for Electrical and Computer Engineering; Signals and Systems; Introduction to Digital Logic Design; and Electrical and Computer Engineering Practice and Design. Additionally, ECE students choose a selection of Advisor Approved Electives to round out their coursework. Common areas accepted for elective selection include engineering distribution courses, courses stressing oral or written communication, upper-level engineering courses, advanced mathematics, biological, and physical science courses. Depending on students’ goals, some business, economics, humanities, social science, and language courses are also often approved.
Cornell University is a private Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White in 1865, and is the land-grant university for New York state.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn’s BSE in Electrical Engineering degree is designed to prepare students for careers in a wide array of areas, including design, development, manufacturing, sales, administration, and research. Within the degree, students may choose between two programs: Electrical Engineering or Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.
Examples of coursework for the Electrical Engineering program include Microprocessors & Embedded Systems; Analog & Discrete Signals & Systems; Electric Circuits; Automatic Control Systems; and Entrepreneurial Thinking & Behavior. Students will also select professional and technical electives.
Much of the curriculum for the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering program overlaps with that of the Electrical Engineering program. Differing courses for this program include Computer Networks / Data Communications; Computer Hardware; Operating Systems; and Computer Architecture, among others.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn was founded in 1959 with support from the Ford Motor Company. The campus is located on the grounds of Henry Ford’s original estate in Dearborn, Michigan.