by our College Data Analytics Team
[Ie Industrial Engineering](/majors/engineering/ie-industrial-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 87 schools on the early-career earnings of their ie industrial engineering graduates.
What’s on this page:
The right ie industrial engineering school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we built our Highest Paid Ie Industrial Engineering Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its ie industrial engineering graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
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 Ie Industrial Engineering 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 ie industrial engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Northwestern University the top school for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings in the United States. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, ie industrial engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University typically earn about $137,306 annually.
University Of Southern California produces some of the highest-paid graduates in ie industrial engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. Ie Industrial Engineering graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of about $137,590 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Suny Maritime College earned it the #3 place for ie industrial engineering. Set in the city of Throggs Neck, Suny Maritime College is a public institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $123,352.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo produces some of the highest-paid graduates in ie industrial engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a public institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $121,125.
Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ie industrial engineering schools. Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Atlanta. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $118,425.
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Lehigh University came in at #6 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from Lehigh University make a median of around $121,172 per year.
University Of Rhode Island landed the #7 spot for ie industrial engineering salaries this year. University Of Rhode Island is a public school located in the suburb of Kingston. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from University Of Rhode Island make a median of around $93,248 per year.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for ie industrial engineering. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public institution. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from University Of Washington Seattle Campus make a median of around $109,185 per year.
University Of Wisconsin Madison earned the #9 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from University Of Wisconsin Madison make a median of around $110,022 per year.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earned the #10 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Ie Industrial Engineering graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn a median of about $117,724 a year early in their careers.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #11 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $103,958.
Ohio State University Main Campus came in at #12 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Ohio State University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Columbus. After graduating, ie industrial engineering degree recipients from Ohio State University Main Campus typically earn about $105,342 annually.
Northeastern University landed the #13 spot for ie industrial engineering salaries this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $110,414.
Purdue University Main Campus earned the #14 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from Purdue University Main Campus make a median of around $100,438 per year.
University Of Arkansas ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ie industrial engineering schools. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a public institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $108,211.
Kettering University earned the #16 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Flint, Kettering University is a private not-for-profit institution. Ie Industrial Engineering graduates of Kettering University earn a median of about $94,052 a year early in their careers.
Arizona State University Skysong placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for ie industrial engineering. Set in the city of Scottsdale, Arizona State University Skysong is a public institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $121,778.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ie industrial engineering schools. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public institution. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from North Carolina State University At Raleigh make a median of around $96,510 per year.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #19 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution. After graduating, ie industrial engineering degree recipients from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus typically earn about $102,365 annually.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #20 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Ie Industrial Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of about $113,310 a year early in their careers.
University Of Missouri Columbia came in at #21 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of Missouri Columbia is a public school located in the city of Columbia. Early-career ie industrial engineering graduates from University Of Missouri Columbia make a median of around $96,907 per year.
Arizona State University came in at #22 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Arizona State University is a public school located in the city of Tempe. Ie Industrial Engineering graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of about $109,992 a year early in their careers.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #23 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. Students who complete the ie industrial engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,221.
University Of Houston came in at #24 for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. After graduating, ie industrial engineering degree recipients from University Of Houston typically earn about $100,544 annually.
Clemson University earned the #25 position for ie industrial engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a public institution. After graduating, ie industrial engineering degree recipients from Clemson University typically earn about $96,384 annually.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid ie industrial engineering ranking:
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This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their ie industrial engineering graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 87 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.
