Engineering Design is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for engineering design students pursuing a degree.
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget
Choosing a Great Engineering Design School
The engineering design program you select can have a big impact on your future. That is why we built our Best Engineering Design Schools rankings. Our overall ranking combines our degree-level rankings, weighted by degrees awarded at each level.
To find the best fit, you can narrow this list to a specific degree level below.
We offer several rankings, including this Best Engineering Design Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
No school ranked higher than Carnegie Mellon University this year for engineering design. Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Roughly 94% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 146 engineering design students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, engineering design degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University generally make around $89,327. Carnegie Mellon University graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans.
More information about a degree in engineering design from Carnegie Mellon University
University Of Pennsylvania came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best engineering design schools. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. About 96% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 52 engineering design students who graduated with this degree at University Of Pennsylvania in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, engineering design degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. Typical student debt for the program is $16,155.
See the full engineering design program report for University Of Pennsylvania
Students looking for a strong engineering design program will find one at Harvard University, which ranked #3. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Roughly 98% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 33 engineering design degrees were awarded at Harvard University in the most recent year. Graduates of the engineering design program make about $95,207 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $16,616.
Read more about the engineering design program at Harvard University
A rank of #4 makes Arizona State University one of the top schools for engineering design. Arizona State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 10 engineering design degrees were awarded at Arizona State University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, engineering design degree recipients from Arizona State University generally make around $76,149. Typical student debt for the program is $31,000.
Get the full engineering design details for Arizona State University
Engineering Design is one of many programs to choose from within the area of study. See all related rankings.
ADBLOCK #115
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
