Top 30 American Universities for Engineering
See below for detailed description of each university
| Ranking | University | Region | Annual Tuition | GPA | SAT/ACT |
| 1 | Stanford University | SW | $45,729 | 4.18 | SAT: 1520 |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | NE | $45,016 | 4.13 | SAT: 1520 |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology | SE | $30,904 | 3.95 | SAT: 1430 |
| 4 | University of California – Berkeley | W | $40,167 | 3.86 | SAT: 1440 |
| 5 | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor | MW | $59,784 | 3.82 | SAT: 1430 |
| 6 | University of Illinois – Urbana | MW | $46,668 | 3.83 | SAT: 1390 |
| 7 | Northwestern University | MW | $50,424 | 4.07 | SAT: 1500 |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins University | NE | $50,410 | 3.74 | SAT: 1470 |
| 9 | University of Texas – Austin | SW | $52,422 | 3.71 | SAT: 1330 |
| 10 | Columbia University | NE | $51,008 | 4.13 | 1520 |
| 11 | University of Southern California | W | $49,464 | 3.73 | SAT: 1450 |
| 12 | Princeton University | NE | $41,820 | 3.9 | SAT: 1540 |
| 13 | University of Pennsylvania | NE | $47,668 | 3.9 | SAT: 1500 |
| 14 | Cornell University | NE | $50,953 | 4.01 | SAT: 1480 |
| 15 | University of California – LA | W | $40,182 | 4.29 | SAT: 1370 |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin – Madison | MW | $47,544 | 3.81 | SAT: 1350 |
| 17 | Carnegie Mellon University | NE | $51,196 | 3.72 | SAT: 1470 |
| 18 | Texas A&M University | SW | $47,386 | 3.55 | SAT: 1240 |
| 19 | Vanderbilt University | SE | $42,768 | 3.76 | SAT: 1520 |
| 20 | University of Virginia | SE | $45,058 | 4.22 | SAT: 1400 |
| 21 | California Institute of Technology | W | $45,846 | 4.23 | SAT: 1560 |
| 22 | University of California – Davis | W | $38,659 | 3.99 | SAT: 1290 |
| 23 | Yale University | NE | $45,800 | 4.19 | SAT: 1540 |
| 24 | Purdue University | MW | $28,804 | 3.7 | SAT: 1270 |
| 25 | University of Colorado – Boulder | W | $52,763 | 3.56 | SAT: 1240 |
| 26 | Brown University | NE | $48,272 | 4.05 | SAT: 1490 |
| 27 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | NE | $47,908 | 3.81 | SAT: 1420 |
| 28 | Duke University | SE | $47,243 | 4.17 | SAT: 1540 |
| 29 | University of Rochester | NE | $47,470 | 3.8 | SAT: 1410 |
| 30 | University of Washington | NW | $49,986 | 3.76 | SAT: 1290 |
1.) Stanford University
Located just south of San Francisco in Silicon Valley; Stanford has a reputation of one of the top tech schools in the US. Alumni of Stanford have gone on to start tech companies such as Google, Snapchat, and Netflix.
The university has over 15,000 students, 20% of whom are international and is one of the most selective universities in the United States, with an admission rate of just 5%. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 3:1 and over 70% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. Some of the most popular majors at Stanford include engineering, computer science, and mathematics.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,729 | $13,730 | $59,459 |
| Out-of-state | $45,729 | $13,730 | $59,459 |
2.) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT is a private research university located in historic Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston, MA. Since its founding in 1861 the school has become one of the most selective universities in the country, accepting just 8% of all applicants.
Today the school is most well-known for its top-ranked engineering and computer science programs. 33% of the university’s students are international, and they come from over 150 different countries. Some famous alumni of the university include Buzz Aldrin, Kofi Annan, Ben Bernanke and Richard Feynman.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,016 | $13,730 | $58,746 |
| Out-of-state | $45,016 | $13,730 | $58,746 |
3.) Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute is a public university located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school’s location in downtown Atlanta allows students to enjoy a wide range of cultural and academic activities in the city. The school stresses the importance of a global education, and maintains campuses in France, Ireland, Costa Rica, Singapore, and China.
The university offers a wide variety of top-ranked programs, including nationally ranked programs for business and engineering. The student-faculty ratio is 19:1, and 40% of the classes have fewer than 20 students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $12,212 | $13,640 | $25,852 |
| Out-of-state | $32,404 | $13,640 | $46,040 |
4.) University of California – Berkeley
Founded in 1868 as the flagship campus of the University of California, UC Berkeley is one of most prestigious public universities in the country. The university is located in Berkeley, California, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The university’s proximity to the tech hub of Silicon Valley has allowed it to become one of the premier universities for computer science and engineering studies.
Today the university has an undergraduate enrollment of 28,000 and offers a student-faculty ratio of 17:1. 60% of the courses at Berkeley have fewer than twenty students, and the university has over 1,000 student organizations for the students to participate in outside of the classroom.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $13,509 | $16,042 | $29,551 |
| Out-of-state | $40,176 | $16,042 | $56,218 |
5.) University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan is a public university that was founded in 1817. It is has developed a strong reputation for its strong business and engineering schools, as well as for its athletic programs that provide on campus entertainment options for students.
Located 35 miles west of Detroit, Ann Arbor allows students to enjoy all of the benefits of the large city while still being able to live in a quieter town. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 15:1, and 57% of its classes have fewer than 20 students. The university spends more than $1 billion a year on a research, allowing students from all programs to collaborate on these initiatives.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $13,856 | $10,554 | $24,410 |
| Out-of-state | $43,476 | $10,554 | $44,132 |
6.) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public university and flagship school of the Illinois system. The school has an urban campus spread across the cities of Urbana and Champaign. Today it has more than 30,000 undergraduate students and is ranked as one of the top 50 universities in the world.
The university offers more than 150 undergraduate programs but its most successful program is engineering, where it is ranked in the top 5 globally. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1 and 40% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $15,698 | $11,308 | $21,338 |
| Out-of-state | $46,668 | $ 11,308 | $57,976 |
7.) Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois. The school was founded in 1851 to serve the Northwest Territory and has grown into one of the country’s top schools. Today the school enrolls 21,000 undergraduate students and has the 8th largest university endowment in the United States.
Northwestern University has a very low student-faculty ratio of 7:1, and 77% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The school has a high freshman retention rate, with 97% of Northwestern students continuing there after their first year.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $50,424 | $15,489 | $65,913 |
| Out-of-state | $50,424 | $15,489 | $65,913 |
8.) Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is a private university with campuses in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC. The school was founded in 1876 and has grown into one of the United State’s top universities for studying medicine, education, and engineering.
Today the university has an undergraduate enrollment of 6,500, and is ranked in the top 10 for national universities overall. The student-faculty ratio is 8:1 and 70% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The most popular majors include public health, biomedical engineering, and international affairs.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $48,710 | $ 14,976 | $63,686 |
| Out-of-state | $48,710 | $14,976 | $63,686 |
9.) University of Texas – Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a public school in Austin, Texas. The university is the largest school in Texas and the 7th largest in the country, with over 50,000 students enrolled. The university has over 900 student clubs and two of the largest student publications in the country. In addition to on campus activities students are also able to enjoy cultural and academic opportunities in the surrounding city of Austin.
Austin is divided into 18 different schools, including its highly ranked business, education, and engineering schools. The student-faculty ratio at Austin is 18:1, and 25% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. Alumni of Austin include 15 former US congressman, two former first ladies, and the founder of Dell computers.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $9,806 | $ 11,456 | $20,770 |
| Out-of-state | $34,676 | $11,456 | $46,132 |
10.) Columbia University
Located in New York City Columbia University is the 5th oldest school in the United States. Columbia is the leading school in New York City, and its location there allows the students the unique opportunities of working on Wall Street, Broadway, and with the UN.
The university has an admissions rate of just 6% and an endowment of over nine billion dollars. Undergraduate classes at Columbia typically allow fewer than 20 students enroll, and upper level courses usually allow fewer than 10.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $51,008 | $7,928 | $58,936 |
| Out-of-state | $51,008 | $7,928 | $58,936 |
11.) University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private university located in Los Angeles, California. The university has 18,000 undergraduate students and a strong tradition of innovation among its alumni. Former students have gone on to start a variety of tech companies, and the school has produced the fourth largest number of billionaire alumni in the world.
Students at USC can participate in over 700 on-campus organizations and the school’s athletes have won over 300 Olympic medals, the most of any American university. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 and its average class has just 23 students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $49,464 | $14,348 | $63,812 |
| Out-of-state | $49,464 | $14,348 | $63,812 |
12.) Princeton University
Princeton University is a private Ivy League university in Princeton, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1746 and is the fourth oldest university in the United States. Today the university has 5,300 undergraduate students and is consistently ranked in the top 3 for overall US rankings.
Princeton University has a student-faculty ratio of 5:1, and the university is ranked #1 nationally for best undergraduate teaching, thanks to its highly qualified staff and small class is sizes. The university has a long list of well-known alumni, including former president Woodrow Wilson, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and mathematician Alan Turing.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $41,820 | $14,770 | $56,590 |
| Out-of-state | $41,820 | $14,770 | $56,590 |
13.) University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania, or U Penn, is a private Ivy League university located in Philadelphia. The school was founded in 1757 by Benjamin Franklin, making it the 6th oldest universities in the United States. The University is located on a large urban campus, separated from downtown Philadelphia but still close enough to allow easy access to the city’s amenities.
U Penn has a student-faculty ratio of 6:1 and 70% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The university’s business school is the oldest business school in the US, and its alumni include business titans such as Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $47,668 | $13,990 | $61,658 |
| Out-of-state | $47,668 | $13,990 | $61,658 |
14.) Cornell University
Cornell University is a private Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York. The school offers over 100 different majors and has 14,000 undergraduate students. Today the diverse student body includes students from over 120 countries and all 50 American states.
Cornell has top ranked programs in several fields of study, and both their engineering and business programs are in the top 10 nationally. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 9:1, and 55% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $50,953 | $13,950 | $64,903 |
| Out-of-state | $50,953 | $13,950 | $64,903 |
15.) University of California – Los Angeles
UCLA is a public university located in Los Angeles, California, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. The school has an undergraduate enrollment of 30,000 and is considered to be a one of the Public Ivy schools. The university is consistently ranked as one of the top public schools in the country, and has produced 14 Noble prize winners and over 250 Olympic medalists.
The university has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and 50% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The most popular majors at UCLA are psychology, biomedical sciences, and social sciences.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $12,836 | $15,069 | $27,905 |
| Out-of-state | $40,182 | $15,069 | $55,251 |
16.) University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public university in Madison, Wisconsin. The university was founded in 1848 and has an undergraduate enrollment of 30,000 students. Today the university offers over 125 undergraduate majors, 25 collegiate sports, and 800 student organizations.
Wisconsin is consistently rated in the top-10 for public schools in the country, and has exceptional undergraduate programs for business and engineering. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and 45% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. Some of the most popular majors include economics, biology, and political science.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,488 | $8,804 | $19,292 |
| Out-of-state | $32,738 | $8,804 | $42,542 |
17.) Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1900, and has grown into one of the top universities in the country. Today the university has an undergraduate enrollment of 6,300 and has top ranked programs in computer science, engineering, and drama.
The university has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1 and 65% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The most popular majors at Carnegie Mellon are engineering, business, and computer science.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $51,196 | $13,270 | $64,466 |
| Out-of-state | $51,196 | $13,270 | $64,466 |
18.) Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a public research university located in College Station, Texas. The school consistently ranks among the top public universities in the country, and with 50,000 undergraduate students it is the 4th largest school in the country.
The school has nationally ranked programs in engineering and business, and has one of the largest research endowments in the country. The student-faculty ratio is 20:1 and 20% of all classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,176 | $10,338 | $20,514 |
| Out-of-state | $28,768 | $10,338 | $39,106 |
19.) Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private university located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was name for Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping tycoon who originally funded the school. Today the university enrolls 7,000 undergraduate students from over 90 countries, and despite its urban surroundings the school is well-known for its beautiful campus, which is a national arboretum.
Students at Vanderbilt can participate in a wide range of activities in Nashville, a center for music and culture. One third of Vanderbilt’s students study abroad, and 40% of them participate in Greek life. The university is tied for 10th nationally in undergraduate teaching, and its student-faculty ratio is 8:1.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $42,768 | $14,962 | $57,730 |
| Out-of-state | $42,768 | $14,962 | $57,730 |
20.) University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public university that was founded in 1819 by former president Thomas Jefferson. The school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, a city two hours south from Washington DC. The university offers over 120 majors and students compete in 26 collegiate sports. The campus is very diverse, and students come to UVA from all 50 states and over 140 countries.
The school has an undergraduate enrollment of 16,000 and is considered one of the top public universities in the country. The student-faculty ratio is 15:1 and 47% of students have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $15,722 | $10,726 | $26,448 |
| Out-of-state | $40,248 | $10,726 | $50,974 |
21.) California Institute of Technology
Despite enrolling only 2,300 students, CalTech has developed an international reputation as one of the best colleges for studying science and engineering. Located in sunny Pasadena, California, the university has produced 34 Noble winners, 6 Turing Award winners, and a long list of other national awards. Caltech is also ranked number one in the US for the percentage of its graduates that go on to earn a PhD.
The student-faculty ratio at CalTech is 3:1, which is one of the lowest in the country. Over 60% of the classes at CalTech have fewer than twenty students, and the most popular majors include engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,846 | $11,172 | $57,018 |
| Out-of-state | $45,846 | $11,172 | $57,018 |
22.) University of California – Davis
The University of California, Davis, or UC Davis is a public university in Davis, California. The school has an urban campus and is located west of the state capital Sacramento. The school is considered one of the top public schools in the country and has an undergraduate enrollment of 28,000.
The university has a large campus, with over 500 student organizations and 20 sports teams. The university offers a wide-range of academic programs, with very popular biology, economics, and business programs. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 19:1 and 35% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $14,046 | $14,838 | $28,884 |
| Out-of-state | $38,659 | $14,838 | $53,497 |
23.) Yale University
Located in Connecticut, Yale University has a prestigious history that stretches back over 300 years. The university is dominant in a wide variety of subjects, and has an alumni network that spreads around the world, including three of the last four US presidents.
The university offers small class sizes and lots of individual attention. 75% of courses enroll fewer than twenty students, and 30% of them enroll fewer than ten.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,800 | $18,170 | $63,970 |
| Out-of-state | $45,800 | $18,170 | $63,970 |
24.) Purdue University
Purdue University is a public university in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school was founded in 1869 after donations from a local businessman, and today the university offers over 200 majors and enrolls 29,000 undergraduate students. The university is ranked as the 20th best public university in the US and is the 4th most popular destination for foreign students studying in the US.
Purdue offers students a wide range of campus activities ranging from music performance groups to the school’s popular sports program. The school is ranked top-10 in the nation for its mechanical, civil, and aerospace engineering programs, and is also ranked 9th on the list for most innovative. The school’s student-faculty ratio is 12:1, which is one of the lowest ratios for all public universities in the country.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,002 | $10,030 | $20,032 |
| Out-of-state | $28,804 | $10,030 | $38,834 |
25.) University of Colorado – Boulder
The University of Colorado, Boulder, or CU, is a public university in Boulder, Colorado. The school was founded in 1876 and is the Flagship University of the Colorado campus. The school offers over 150 academic programs and enrolls almost 33,000 students. Today CU has top programs in physics, environmental law, and in aerospace engineering.
Students at CU have a wide-range of activities to participate. The school has an urban campus, but the city is surrounded by mountain ranges. Students at CU can enjoy outdoor activities like snowboarding, skiing, and hiking in the surrounding hills. The university has a low student-faculty ratio of 18:1 and 50% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $11,531 | $13,590 | $25,121 |
| Out-of-state | $35,079 | $13,590 | $48,669 |
26.) Brown University
Brown University is a private Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded in 1764, and is the 7th oldest university in the United States. The university has a long history of excellence, and has produced eight Noble Prize laureates along with Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners, and several US Secretaries of State.
Brown University is ranked fourth in the country for best undergraduate teaching and has a student-faculty ratio of 7:1. 70% of the classes at brown have fewer than twenty students, and the school has a freshman retention rate of 98%.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $48,272 | $13,200 | $61,472 |
| Out-of-state | $48,272 | $13,200 | $61,472 |
27.) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a private university in Troy, New York. The school was founded in 1824 as a science institute, and is the oldest technological university in the US. The school has a beautiful urban campus overlooking the Hudson River, and is known for its traditional architecture. Today the school offers degrees in 140 programs and enrolls 5,800 students.
Rensselaer offers more than 175 different organizations for students to join, and the school’s location is near hiking, camping, and waterfront spots. The university is nationally known for its engineering program, and for its unique accelerated programs combining bachelor degrees with masters or law degrees. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 15:1, and 50% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $47,908 | $14,630 | $62,538 |
| Out-of-state | $47,908 | $14,630 | $62,538 |
28.) Duke University
Duke University a private university located in suburban North Carolina. The university has a wide variety of programs including very successful business and engineering schools. The university currently has 6,000 undergraduate students, along with another 6,000 graduate students.
Duke is ranked 8th in the national overall and is tied for 14th nationally for its undergraduate teaching. Duke believes in small class sizes and maintains a student-faculty ratio of 6:1, one of the lowest undergraduate ratios in the country.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $51,510 | $15,116 | $56,626 |
| Out-of-state | $51,510 | $15,116 | $56,626 |
29.) University of Rochester
University of Rochester of is a private university in Rochester University. The university was founded in 1850 and has an undergraduate enrollment of 6,300 students. The school is especially well-known for its school of music, but it also has top programs in politics and engineering.
Rochester has over 200 campus organizations in addition to nearby parks and outdoor opportunities. The university is ranked 23rd on a list of top value schools in the country, and the school has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1, with 70% of its classes having fewer than twenty student.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $47,470 | $14,890 | $62,360 |
| Out-of-state | $47,470 | $14,890 | $62,360 |
30.) University of Washington
The University of Washington, or UW, is the flagship public university in Washington State, and is based in Seattle. The university was founded in 1861 and is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. The university has an undergraduate population of 31,000 students and is spread across three urban campuses.
The university offers a wide-range of student activities, including clubs, intramural sports, and school newspapers. The university has highly ranked programs in medicine, engineering, and business, and is ranked in the top twenty nationally for public universities. The student-faculty ratio is 21:1 and 35% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,753 | $11,691 | $22,444 |
| Out-of-state | $49,986 | $11,691 | $61,677 |