2024 Best Engineering Schools

The best-value engineering school is CUNY City College, a member of New York’s public university system. At large, CUNY City College’s 5th most popular undergraduate major is mechanical engineering. 

City College is home to the reputable The Grove School of Engineering, which offers several academically rigorous programs in engineering. Incoming students can choose among engineering majors like biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and several others.  

Admitted applicants to The Grove School of Engineering will need to have a strong high school academic profile. A high school average of 85% or higher, including an average of 80% on select math and science courses, is a prerequisite for admission.  

The 2nd best-value engineering school in the country is California State University, Los Angeles, or Cal State LA – a large public university in Los Angeles and member of the California State University system.  

Departments in its College of Engineering, Computer Science & Technology (ECST) include: 

• Civil engineering 
• Computer science 
• Electrical and computer engineering 
• Mechanical engineering 
• Technology 

Outside of the classroom, students can take part in one of ECST’s many clubs and organizations to round out their resumes across their engineering specializations of interest and make valuable long-term connections.  

Coming in at 3rd best-value engineering school is the University of Florida (UF), a large public research university in Gainesville in North Central Florida.  

UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is a highly respected engineering school in Florida and, as one of the largest research centers in the state, offers plenty of opportunities for undergraduate research. Apart from the usual suspects, the school offers less conventional engineering majors like coastal & oceanographic engineering and human-centered computing.  

While undergraduate admissions requirements include a minimum GPA of a C, the school notes that the average admitted applicants for its programs typically exceed this.  

Florida International University (FSU) is a large public university in Miami, Florida, and a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. Engineering is among the handful of majors the school is well-regarded for in the state. 

The FIU College of Engineering and Computing  offers several undergraduate degrees in engineering specializations like civil engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, but also for contemporary fields like Internet of Things (loT).  

A unique option among them is the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Engineering, which allows students to customize their learning across their specializations of interest. 

Rounding out our top 5 best-value engineering schools is Texas A & M International University, or TAMIU. This midsized public university in Laredo, Texas sits about a mile from the US-Mexico border. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, most (95%) of its student population is of Hispanic descent.  

Engineering undergraduate programs at the School of Engineering include systems engineering, computer engineering, and petroleum engineering. For students looking to transfer to other schools (for instance, University of Texas-Austin), a pre-engineering program is also an option.  

Note that the SAT is optional for students in the top 40% of their high school class.  

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a large public university in Edinburg, Texas, close to the Mexican border. It is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.  

UTRGV’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) comprises several departments for civil engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, among others.  

The typical admitted student at UTRGV has an average SAT score of 1030 and is in the top 25% of their class.  

The University of California, Berkeley, or just UC Berkeley, is a nationally renowned public university in Berkely, California, on the San Francisco Bay.  

The UC Berkeley College of Engineering is home to undergraduate programs like materials science & engineering, nuclear engineering, civil & environmental engineering, bioengineering, and even an “undeclared” option, which allows students to choose an engineering discipline by the fourth semester.  

In 2023, most undergraduate students at the College of Engineering were at Berkeley’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.  

Like UC Berkeley itself, UC Berkeley College of Engineering is highly selective. The acceptance rate of the 2023-2024 freshman class was just 7%.  

Stanford University is a prestigious private university in Stanford, California. With an acceptance rate of 4%, Stanford is the most selective institution on the West Coast.  

Stanford University School of Engineering is among the best engineering schools in the country. Its 16 undergraduate programs span disciplines like aeronautics, civil engineering, and environmental systems engineering; there was also a custom option.  

While the admitted student profile for the School of Engineering is unknown, 75% of first-year students at Stanford were reported to have a high school GPA of 4.0 in the Stanford Common Data Set from 2023-2024. 

For the time being, Stanford is an SAT/ACT test-optional institution. Students who have already taken either test are encouraged to submit their scores if they think they’re a “positive reflection of their academic preparedness.” 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a large private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As one of the first institutions for science and technology studies, MIT is often regarded as the best university in the world for engineering.   

MIT School of Engineering offers several engineering undergraduate majors that include nuclear science and engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, civil and environmental engineering, chemical engineering, and other disciplines.  

As expected, MIT School of Engineering is extremely selective: 4.8% of applicants were admitted to the Class of 2027. For that same class, the middle 50% range scored at least a 740 in SAT ERW and 780 in SAT Math.  

California State University-Fresno, or Fresno State, is a large public university in Fresno, California. The school is designated as both an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander and Hispanic-Serving Institution.  

Fresno State’s Lyles College of Engineering offers 7 undergraduate degree programs that include unique majors like geomatics engineering and architectural studies. The Lyles College of Engineering’s Honors Program provides financial support for freshmen students who embody qualities like academic strength, entrepreneurship, and leadership ability. 

Admitted applicants to Fresno State should have a 2.5 GPA or above for California residents (or a 3.0 GPA or above for non-residents) and have satisfied the relevant prerequisite courses for the department. 

The University of South Florida (USF) is a large public university in Tampa, Florida. USF’s College of Engineering, located on the main campus, spans 7 engineering disciplines: 

• Chemical, Biological & Materials Engineering 
• Civil & Environmental Engineering 
• Computer Science & Engineering 
• Electrical Engineering 
• Industrial & Management Systems Engineering 
• Mechanical Engineering 
• Medical Engineering 

Students admitted to the College of Engineering should have a 3.6 GPA or score a 610 or higher on SAT Math (or alternatively a 26 or higher on ACT Math).

The University of Texas Permian Basin is a midsized public university in Odessa, in West Texas, and a member of the University of Texas public university system. It is an officially designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. 

Students at UT Permian Basin’s College of Engineering choose from 4 undergraduate programs: chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and petroleum engineering. Each discipline has its own dedicated lab.  

The school at large automatically admits applicants with a 3.0 GPA or higher or who are in the top 25% of their high school class. 

California State University-Fullerton (CSUF) is a large public university in Fullerton, a city in Orange County, California. With a total enrollment of nearly 40,000, it is home to one of the largest student bodies in the state. 

Cal State Fullerton’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) offers bachelor's degree programs in the following disciplines: 

• Civil engineering 
• Computer engineering 
• Computer science 
• Electrical engineering 
• Mechanical engineering 

Qualifying criteria for undergraduate admission to the College of Engineering and Computer Science include earning a C or higher in the prerequisite courses outlined by the department. SAT I or ACT score submissions are required.  

The University of West Florida is a midsized public university in Pensacola, a city in the Florida Panhandle. UWF is proudly recognized as a Military Friendly School and Military Spouse Friendly School.  

UWF’s Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering (HMCSE) offers a diverse set of undergraduate degrees to choose from. The engineering degrees available include a B.S. in computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.   

Admission requirements for HMCSE include a minimum weighted GPA of 2.70 and satisfaction of the school’s ACT, SAT, or CLT minimum score requirements.  

The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university in sunny Orlando, Florida and designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. UCF is a competitive school, with an acceptance rate of 41%.  

Undergraduate programs at UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science include aerospace engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, construction engineering, and many others. Some disciplines include distinct “tracks” that allow students to home in on a subdiscipline (for example, the Communication and Signal Processing Track in the Electrical Engineering degree).  

Based on the previous entering class (for an undisclosed year), the average admitted student to UCF has a (recalculated) GPA of 4.1-4.5 and SAT scores between 1270-1390.  

Florida State University (FSU) is a large public university in Tallahassee, Florida, and a member of the State University System of Florida.  

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is the joint college of engineering between Florida State University and Florida A&M University. Students at either university can earn a degree in any of its programs, and that degree will be given by their school.  

Undergraduate majors include biomedical & chemical engineering, civil/environmental engineering, electrical & computer engineering, industrial & manufacturing engineering, and mechanical engineering.  

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is a large public university in Northridge, California, in the San Fernando Valley outside of Los Angeles.  

Its College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS) consists of 5 departments:  

• Civil Engineering and Construction Management 
• Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering 
• Manufacturing Systems Engineering  
• Management Mechanical Engineering 

The Honors Co-Op program is designed to set up academically gifted students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science with employment opportunities in their senior year.  

University of North Florida (UNF) is a midsized public university in Jacksonville, Florida, ideally situated a stone’s throw from the beach and downtown.  

UNF’s School of Engineering offers undergraduate degrees in advanced manufacturing engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.  

Students applying to the School of Engineering are subject to UNF general admission requirements. The mid-range GPA for the incoming Fall 2023 class was a (recalculated) GPA of 3.80-4.44.  

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a large public university in Los Angeles, and one of the oldest members of the University of California public school system.  

The 7 departments that make up the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering cover most of the standard engineering disciplines. Undergraduate degree programs include a newly added Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. In 2023, the most popular undergraduate disciplines were computer science and mechanical engineering.  

UCLA is widely considered a “Public Ivy.” As such, its admissions process is competitive, with its engineering school being no exception. For the 2023-2024 cycle, out of 34,470 undergraduate applicants to the Samueli School of Engineering across all departments, only 1,747 were accepted.  

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is the designated “liberal arts and science university” of the University of North Carolina system, with computer science among the fields the school is most known for.  

Its 2 Bachelor of Science degrees, a mechatronics engineering degree and a 2+2 engineering degree, are offered jointly by UNC Asheville and NC State University.  

The mechanical engineering degree takes place on the UNC Asheville campus and leads to a joint degree between NC State and UNC Asheville. Students of the 2+2 engineering degree program split their time between UNC Asheville and NC State campuses (1-2 and 2-3 years at each, respectively).