Best colleges for engineering
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in any engineering field, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for engineering749 schools
749 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in engineering, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in California
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- 2
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in New Jersey
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 3
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 4
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 5
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maryland
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 6
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Massachusetts
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 7
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 8
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in Connecticut
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A · Top 8%
- 9Tie
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in Rhode Island
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A · Top 9%
- 9Tie
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 11
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Tennessee
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 12
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 13
Duke University
Durham, NC · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in North Carolina
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 23%
- 14
United States Military Academy
West Point, NY · PublicHonor Roll#1 in New York
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- 15Tie
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 22%
- 15Tie
United States Air Force Academy
USAF Academy, CO · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Colorado
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- 17
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#2 in New York
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 22%
- 18
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 19
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 20
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- 21
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Missouri
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 11%
- 22
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 2% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 19%
- 23
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in New Hampshire
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 34%
- 24
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Virginia
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 25
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 15%
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology | $16,075 | — | $128,566 | 94% |
| Princeton University | $6,128 | $10,320 | $110,066 | 98% |
| Stanford University | $13,807 | $12,000 | $124,080 | 92% |
| Rice University | $13,370 | $11,000 | $89,718 | 95% |
| Johns Hopkins University | $18,809 | $10,250 | $87,555 | 94% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $20,111 | $14,768 | $143,372 | 96% |
| University of Chicago | $14,860 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| Yale University | $23,777 | $12,975 | $100,533 | 96% |
| Brown University | $25,184 | $11,428 | $93,487 | 96% |
| Harvard University | $19,066 | $14,000 | $101,817 | 98% |
| Vanderbilt University | $15,846 | $14,000 | $91,565 | 94% |
| Pomona College | $19,285 | $11,782 | $77,779 | 93% |
| Duke University | $29,612 | $13,000 | $97,800 | 97% |
| United States Military Academy | — | — | — | 87% |
| Claremont McKenna College | $28,849 | $13,500 | $104,736 | 91% |
| United States Air Force Academy | — | — | — | 88% |
| Cornell University | $28,690 | $14,000 | $104,043 | 95% |
| University of Pennsylvania | $28,699 | $15,715 | $111,371 | 97% |
| Northwestern University | $29,167 | $15,000 | $89,363 | 95% |
| United States Naval Academy | — | — | — | 93% |
| Washington University in St. Louis | $21,786 | $17,500 | $86,182 | 94% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $21,590 | $21,500 | $102,491 | 96% |
| Dartmouth College | $29,519 | $17,500 | $97,434 | 96% |
| Washington and Lee University | $23,781 | $19,500 | $94,810 | 94% |
| Swarthmore College | $23,149 | $17,500 | $80,257 | 92% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
By state
- Alabama 11
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 11
- California 56
- Colorado 13
- Connecticut 17
- District of Columbia 4
- Florida 27
- Georgia 12
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 27
- Indiana 28
- Iowa 13
- Kansas 9
- Kentucky 9
- Louisiana 10
- Maine 4
- Maryland 11
- Massachusetts 22
- Michigan 29
- Minnesota 15
- Mississippi 6
- Missouri 14
- Montana 3
- Nebraska 3
- New Hampshire 4
- New Jersey 11
- New Mexico 3
- New York 41
- North Carolina 17
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 36
- Oklahoma 10
- Oregon 8
- Pennsylvania 57
- Puerto Rico 8
- Rhode Island 5
- South Carolina 15
- South Dakota 4
- Tennessee 25
- Texas 46
- Utah 8
- Vermont 5
- Virginia 22
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 9
- Wisconsin 16