by our College Data Analytics Team
[Engineering Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 48 schools to find where engineering related fields graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The right engineering related fields school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we built our Highest Paid Engineering Related Fields Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose engineering related fields degrees pay off the most.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Engineering Related Fields Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this 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.
Below are the schools whose engineering related fields graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in engineering related fields, no school beat Northwestern University this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $219,145.
Students chasing top earnings in engineering related fields will find them at Stanford University, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Stanford University typically earn about $227,320 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Washington State University earned it the #3 place for engineering related fields. Washington State University is a public school located in the town of Pullman. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $156,036.
Students chasing top earnings in engineering related fields will find them at Tufts University, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $159,091.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Central Florida earned it the #5 place for engineering related fields. Set in the suburb of Orlando, University Of Central Florida is a public institution. Engineering Related Fields graduates of University Of Central Florida earn a median of about $158,974 a year early in their careers.
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George Washington University came in at #6 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Early-career engineering related fields graduates from George Washington University make a median of around $133,602 per year.
Wayne State University came in at #7 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. Wayne State University is a public school located in the city of Detroit. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $128,271.
Duke University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying engineering related fields schools. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career engineering related fields graduates from Duke University make a median of around $150,672 per year.
Western New England University placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for engineering related fields. Set in the city of Springfield, Western New England University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $125,746.
Temple University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying engineering related fields schools. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a public institution. Engineering Related Fields graduates of Temple University earn a median of about $123,016 a year early in their careers.
University Of Kansas landed the #11 spot for engineering related fields salaries this year. Set in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a public institution. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $122,538.
Southern Methodist University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying engineering related fields schools. Set in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Southern Methodist University typically earn about $137,458 annually.
Texas A And M University College Station landed the #13 spot for engineering related fields salaries this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a public school located in the city of College Station. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station typically earn about $120,911 annually.
Drexel University placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for engineering related fields. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Drexel University typically earn about $137,228 annually.
Clarkson University came in at #15 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Potsdam, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Engineering Related Fields graduates of Clarkson University earn a median of about $135,325 a year early in their careers.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in at #16 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public institution. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Massachusetts Maritime Academy typically earn about $132,596 annually.
University Of South Florida Main Campus came in at #17 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. University Of South Florida Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Tampa. Engineering Related Fields graduates of University Of South Florida Main Campus earn a median of about $116,007 a year early in their careers.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying engineering related fields schools. Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Early-career engineering related fields graduates from Eastern Michigan University make a median of around $115,117 per year.
New York University placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for engineering related fields. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. Engineering Related Fields graduates of New York University earn a median of about $114,850 a year early in their careers.
California State University Northridge placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for engineering related fields. California State University Northridge is a public school located in the city of Northridge. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from California State University Northridge typically earn about $114,580 annually.
Citadel Military College Of South Carolina came in at #21 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Charleston, Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a public institution. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Citadel Military College Of South Carolina typically earn about $113,053 annually.
Oakland University came in at #22 for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a public institution. Engineering Related Fields graduates of Oakland University earn a median of about $112,624 a year early in their careers.
University Of Michigan Dearborn placed #23 among the highest-paying schools for engineering related fields. University Of Michigan Dearborn is a public school located in the city of Dearborn. Engineering Related Fields graduates of University Of Michigan Dearborn earn a median of about $110,914 a year early in their careers.
University Of Louisville landed the #24 spot for engineering related fields salaries this year. University Of Louisville is a public school located in the city of Louisville. Early-career engineering related fields graduates from University Of Louisville make a median of around $109,136 per year.
Johns Hopkins University earned the #25 position for engineering related fields graduate earnings this year. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Engineering Related Fields graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of about $109,380 a year early in their careers.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning engineering related fields graduates:
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This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries engineering related fields graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 48 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
