Best Engineering-Related Fields Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
28
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$1,002,760
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$49,131
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Northwestern University
Grad rate: 96.2% |
IL | +$2,170,472 | $159,304 | $87,804 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
University of Central Florida
Grad rate: 75.4% |
FL | +$1,816,582 | $135,111 | $22,819 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Stanford University
Grad rate: 94.0% |
CA | +$1,780,356 | $139,234 | $82,162 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Washington State University
Grad rate: 62.0% |
WA | +$1,503,848 | $119,910 | $27,176 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Tufts University
Grad rate: 93.5% |
MA | +$1,470,140 | $123,967 | $84,600 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Grad rate: 79.2% |
MA | +$1,296,478 | $110,596 | $37,721 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Drexel University
Grad rate: 77.6% |
PA | +$1,235,326 | $111,283 | $75,167 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Duke University
Grad rate: 96.2% |
NC | +$1,169,222 | $108,736 | $82,749 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Missouri State University-Springfield
Grad rate: 57.8% |
MO | +$1,121,476 | $100,476 | $24,022 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Clarkson University
Grad rate: 73.0% |
NY | +$1,120,078 | $105,649 | $76,451 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
George Washington University
Grad rate: 85.0% |
DC | +$1,109,786 | $105,562 | $80,727 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Grad rate: 71.5% |
SC | +$1,035,074 | $96,948 | $31,943 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Western New England University
Grad rate: 65.6% |
MA | +$1,028,554 | $99,321 | $58,933 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Southern Methodist University
Grad rate: 82.8% |
TX | +$988,356 | $99,671 | $82,532 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Colorado School of Mines
Grad rate: 80.5% |
CO | +$967,308 | $94,221 | $38,556 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
California State University-Northridge
Grad rate: 56.1% |
CA | +$964,406 | $92,252 | $20,317 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
University of South Florida
Grad rate: 74.4% |
FL | +$925,418 | $90,501 | $22,301 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 73.4% |
NJ | +$820,364 | $86,241 | $32,228 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Grad rate: 55.1% |
IN | +$760,748 | $82,259 | $22,216 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Case Western Reserve University
Grad rate: 86.4% |
OH | +$739,614 | $87,134 | $81,533 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
University of Louisville
Grad rate: 61.4% |
KY | +$734,714 | $81,820 | $30,843 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Florida Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 66.3% |
FL | +$719,186 | $83,998 | $60,387 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate: 84.8% |
IL | +$717,012 | $81,064 | $32,134 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Grad rate: 62.6% |
MO | +$644,614 | $76,796 | $25,653 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
University of Arkansas
Grad rate: 69.6% |
AR | +$585,958 | $73,914 | $26,161 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico
Grad rate: 21.9% |
PR | +$243,032 | $56,341 | $21,894 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 | Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Orlando | FL | +$242,910 | $56,341 | $21,955 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
Georgetown University
Grad rate: 95.0% |
DC | +$166,248 | $58,782 | $84,696 | N/A | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Engineering-Related Fields Degrees by State
Browse Engineering-Related Fields programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.