🇺🇸 Best Engineering Programs in United States by ROI
Ranked by ROI score — net salary after rent and living costs, weighted by graduation rate, relative to total degree tuition. Salary figures are median graduate earnings from government data (2026).
| # | University | ROI | Salary ($) | Payback | Tuition ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Computer Engineering. | 41.6 | $78,967 | 2 yrs | $36,786 |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 38.6 | $74,248 | 2 yrs | $36,786 |
| 3 | Rice University Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 36.8 | $74,248 | 3 yrs | $37,436 |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Nuclear Engineering. | 36.7 | $67,766 | 3 yrs | $33,925 |
| 5 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Chemical Engineering. | 35.9 | $66,641 | 3 yrs | $33,925 |
| 6 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Nuclear Engineering. | 34.5 | $67,766 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 7 | Purdue University-Main Campus Engineering-Related Fields. | 34.5 | $80,983 | 2 yrs | $40,880 |
| 8 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Chemical Engineering. | 33.8 | $66,641 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering. | 33.7 | $66,379 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 10 | Stanford University Engineering-Related Fields. | 32.9 | $80,983 | 3 yrs | $38,660 |
| 11 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Biomedical/Medical Engineering. | 32.8 | $62,232 | 3 yrs | $33,925 |
| 12 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Mechanical Engineering. | 32.6 | $61,865 | 3 yrs | $33,925 |
| 13 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Industrial Engineering. | 32.6 | $64,734 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 14 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Materials Engineering. | 32.5 | $61,759 | 3 yrs | $33,925 |
| 15 | Vanderbilt University Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 31.9 | $74,248 | 3 yrs | $44,369 |
| 16 | University of California-Los Angeles Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 31.8 | $74,248 | 3 yrs | $35,134 |
| 17 | Purdue University-Main Campus Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 31.1 | $74,248 | 3 yrs | $40,880 |
| 18 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Biomedical/Medical Engineering. | 31.0 | $62,232 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 19 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Mechanical Engineering. | 30.8 | $61,865 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 20 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Materials Engineering. | 30.7 | $61,759 | 3 yrs | $36,786 |
| 21 | University of California-San Diego Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 30.0 | $74,248 | 3 yrs | $34,916 |
| 22 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Manufacturing Engineering. | 29.9 | $57,996 | 3 yrs | $33,925 |
| 23 | University of California-Berkeley Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | 29.7 | $74,248 | 3 yrs | $37,747 |
| 24 | University of California-Irvine Computer Engineering. | 28.7 | $78,967 | 3 yrs | $39,903 |
| 25 | University of California-Los Angeles Chemical Engineering. | 26.8 | $66,641 | 3 yrs | $35,134 |