Ocean Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for ocean engineering students pursuing a degree.
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Choosing a Great Ocean Engineering School
Where you study ocean engineering matters for your future. To help, we created our Best Ocean Engineering Schools rankings. Our overall ranking combines our degree-level rankings, weighted by degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
We offer several rankings, including this Best Ocean Engineering Schools list, to help you decide. 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.
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Best Schools for Ocean Engineering in the United States
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the ocean engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Texas A And M University College Station tops our 2026 ranking of the best ocean engineering schools. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. About 84% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 63 ocean engineering students who graduated with this degree at Texas A And M University College Station in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, ocean engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $71,788. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
See the full ocean engineering program report for Texas A And M University College Station
University Of Hawaii At Manoa came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best ocean engineering schools. Located in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public university. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Hawaii At Manoa awarded about 12 ocean engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, ocean engineering degree recipients from University Of Hawaii At Manoa generally make around $48,181. University Of Hawaii At Manoa graduates carry a median of $20,577 in student loans.
More information about a degree in ocean engineering from University Of Hawaii At Manoa
A rank of #3 makes University Of Rhode Island one of the top schools for ocean engineering. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Kingston. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. About 40 ocean engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Rhode Island in the most recent year. Students who receive their ocean engineering degree from University Of Rhode Island earn around $70,939 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,147.
Read more about the ocean engineering program at University Of Rhode Island
Students looking for a strong ocean engineering program will find one at Florida Institute Of Technology, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Melbourne, Florida Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. About 62% of students finish within six years. Florida Institute Of Technology awarded about 36 ocean engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ocean engineering degree from Florida Institute Of Technology earn around $68,475 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full ocean engineering program report for Florida Institute Of Technology
Florida Atlantic University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in ocean engineering, ranking #5. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a very large public university. Florida Atlantic University graduates 63% of students within six years. Florida Atlantic University awarded about 31 ocean engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Ocean Engineering graduates of Florida Atlantic University earn a median of $67,941 early in their careers. Florida Atlantic University graduates carry a median of $29,000 in student loans.
See the full ocean engineering program report for Florida Atlantic University
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 17 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).
