Best Computer Engineering Schools In The United States

Computer Engineering Schools In The United States

The Best Computer Engineering Schools in the U.S. offer programs for engineers, computer science students, and software developers. Computer engineers are responsible for designing and building the hardware and software that make up the world’s computers. The field is critical because it allows for innovations in all aspects of modern life, from mobile phones to medical devices and many other areas. 

Whether you want to design your smartphone or work with cutting-edge technology at a company like Google, this list of the best computer engineering schools will help you select the best schools where you can learn how to do just that. 

Computer engineering, also known as electronic and computer engineering, is one of the most popular branches of electrical engineering. Computer engineers design and develop computers, computer hardware, and software. They may also research these technologies or create new algorithms and programming languages for them.

Computer engineers are responsible for designing the components that make up the physical structure of a computer system. These components include microprocessors (which control how data moves between different parts of a device), memory chips (which store information), and transistors (which carry out simple functions). Computer engineers must also design computers’ operating systems: these control how users interact with their machines so that all hardware works together smoothly to produce desired results. 

Best Computer Engineering Universities In The United States Ranked 

The field of computer engineering is one of the fastest growing and most lucrative career paths in the world. There are many computer engineering schools in the United States, but which are the best? We looked at the US News and World Report ranking, acceptance rate, tuition cost, and student population to find the top 10 computer engineering schools.

There are a plethora of schools offering programs in computer engineering scattered all over the U.S. Still, not all of them will guarantee you the same kind of exposure and learning opportunities, hence the search for the best of them. Here is a list of the best computer engineering universities in the United States, ranked from 1-12.

  •  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Stanford University
  • University of California–Berkeley
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
  • Cornell University
  • Princeton University
  • University of Texas–Austin (Cockrell)
  • University of Washington
  • Air Force Institute of Technology

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT has the most prominent computer science and engineering degrees in the U.S. The university is also one of the most selective Universities in the world, with an acceptance rate of 5 percent. MIT has a strong reputation for innovation, which can be attributed to its focus on interdisciplinarity and teamwork. Students work with professors from all over campus on projects spanning disciplines. 

This collaborative environment fosters innovation and creativity in students who develop new ideas quickly because they simultaneously access experts in many fields. MIT also offers various research opportunities through its centers, labs, and centers (CLICS). These include Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS). 

  • Cost: $48,140 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 23.6%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 166 /108

2. Stanford University

Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California. It was founded in 1885 by Leland Stanford Junior and his wife Jane to honor their son. The university is named after their late son, who died of typhoid fever at age 15 while studying abroad at Clifton College in Bristol, England (1888-90).

Stanford University is a leading institution for research and education in the U.S. It has been ranked as the best university in the world for the last 20 years by U.S. News & World Report’s best global universities ranking, which looks at factors such as student satisfaction; faculty resources; graduation rates; financial resources; library size/availability of materials; etc.

  • Cost: $58,048 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 5.04%
  • Avg GRE: 166/108

3. University of California-Berkeley

UC Berkeley is a leading research institution and one of the best in computer engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. UC Berkeley is also ranked highly in mechanical engineering and civil engineering. UC Berkeley has a strong program for undergraduate students seeking a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. 

The curriculum includes “Introduction to Computer Engineering” and “Systems Programming.” Students must take classes like “Digital Systems Laboratory,” which teaches them how to design digital circuits using hardware description languages (HDL). Students can also take the study titled “Project Manager,” which will help them understand how teams manage projects. In their last two terms at UC Berkeley, students may be able to choose from several electives, including Advanced Algorithms & Data Structures, Operating System Concepts & Design.

  • Cost: $26,322    per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 22.5%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 165 /90

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university was founded by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools in 1900 to provide students with both business and engineering education. In 1912, the institution began offering four-year degrees and was renamed the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT). It became a university in 1967 and was renamed Carnegie Mellon University after receiving its charter from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Currently, the school has 60 bachelor’s degree programs (including those offered online), over 100 master’s degree programs (including those provided online), 29 Ph.D. programs, five professional schools for education; 12 joint graduate degree programs with other colleges; more than 200 research centers across five campuses: Heinz College at CMU which focuses on Innovation Management. 

  • Cost: $43,000    per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 22.1%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 166/104

5. University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public research university located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois. Its top-rated graduate programs in engineering, business, and other disciplines are known.

The school has one of the largest enrollments among U.S. public universities. It has an undergraduate acceptance rate of about 60 percent and offers more than 250 undergraduate programs through its three campuses: Champaign/Urbana (main campus), Chicago (state street), and Springfield campus. The most popular majors include Computer Engineering, finance & economics; engineering & industrial technologies; liberal arts & sciences/general studies; social sciences; biological sciences/life sciences, etc.

  • Cost: $27,860 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 15.8%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 160/80

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is part of the University System of Georgia and has satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia; Metz, France; Athlone, Ireland; Shanghai, China; and Singapore. Georgia Tech is organized into six colleges spread across three campuses (Atlanta Campus – Main Campus) in Midtown Atlanta. This school focuses on media technology, including computer graphics and game design courses, as well as digital art techniques such as 3D modeling & animation. It makes the school one of the best computer engineering schools. 

  • Cost: $27,872 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 35.2%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 164/104

7. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

University of Michigan–Ann Arbor is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The university was founded in 1817 in Detroit as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigan, and moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. The University of Michigan is ranked as one of the world’s leading institutions for its comprehensive academic programs, public service offerings, and global focus, the school offers one of the best computer engineering programs in the U.S. and globally, and the school is one of the best computer engineering schools.  

Michigan offers more than 300 bachelor’s degrees across 20 schools and colleges; more than 170 master’s degrees across 30 schools; nearly 50 doctoral programs across 11 schools; 21 professional degree programs at the School of Dentistry, Law School, and Medical School; four professional graduate degrees at Ross Business School; three joint Ph.D./MBA programs through Dearborn Campus partners such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors Co. 

  • Cost: $45,974 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 34.8%
  • Avg GRE: 166

8. Cornell University

Cornell University is a private Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, the university was designed to give students a broad education rather than one focused on any single field of study. Today, Cornell is a large and highly regarded research university with over 20 schools and colleges that provide more than 100 undergraduate majors and over 100 graduate programs, including the renowned School of Engineering at Cornell University (S.E.). The S.E.’s facilities include:

  • The Robert W. Deutsch Laboratory for Accelerator Physics, which houses some of the world’s most powerful particle accelerators;
  • The Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, where scientists conduct cutting-edge research into radio waves; and
  • The GROW LAB, an innovation hub for entrepreneurs working on new technologies like 3D printing or virtual reality headsets), is where the computer engineering programs are handled in the university. 
  • Cost: $$29,500 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 33.8%
  • Avg GRE: 165

9. Princeton University

Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The institution moved to Newark in 1747 following a dispute with the townspeople of Elizabeth over its location. Princeton offers one of the best computer engineering programs in the U.S. and globally, making the school one of the best computer engineering schools. 

Princeton provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in most academic disciplines through its eight professional schools: architecture, engineering, humanities, and social sciences; management; mathematics and statistics; music; science (biology, chemistry, earth science); and sociology. The university has ties with the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), an independent research center for theoretical research affiliated with Princeton University since 1933. The university also maintains close relations with Princeton Theological Seminary nearby Nassau Hall. 

  • Cost: $45,320 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 5.4%
  • Avg GRE: 167

10. University of Texas-Austin

The University of Texas–Austin is a large public research university with a student body of nearly 51,000 students. UT Austin is highly selective, admitting only about 14% of applicants yearly. The school offers degrees through its main campus in Austin and several off-campus regional campuses across Texas.

UT Austin’s computer engineering program has been ranked among the top five programs by U.S. News & World Report since 2001 (and on par with MIT and Stanford). The major requires 120+ hours to complete, including courses in programming languages, databases and data structures, networks and systems administration, operating systems concepts, human-computer interaction principles/design methods, software design methodology/tools/practices; digital electronics system design; introduction to computer architecture; embedded systems design; parallel processing architectures; computer-aided design tools for VLSI circuits and switching theory applied to digital systems such as cell phones or personal computers (P.C.).

Some notable alumni include Michael Dell, who founded Dell Computers after graduating from UT Austin with an M.S. degree in Computer Science in 1988 before dropping out again later that same year when his company went public at $22 per share, which was worth less than 10% percent over what he paid for it during college but still made him millions because he had access. 

  • Cost: $24,150 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 21.3%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 162/96

11. University of Washington

The University of Washington is ranked #7 for Best Computer Engineering Schools. Located in Seattle, the University of Washington is a public research university founded in 1861. The University of Washington has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 40 percent and an average class size of 23 students. 

The University of Washington is home to the School of Electrical Engineering, which offers several different computer engineering degrees, such as a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering, Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with Specialization: in Computer Systems and Networks; or Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with Specialization: Computer Architecture, VLSI Circuits & Systems Design. The University also houses other schools, including Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (IGP), Industrial & Systems Engineering Department (ISE), Information School Department (I.S.), Molecular Biology Program (MBP), and Statistics Department. 

  • Cost: $30,153 per year
  • Acceptance Rate: 42.1%
  • Avg GRE / TOEFL: 163/92

12. Air Force Institute of Technology

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is a United States Air Force graduate school located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. It offers graduate degrees in computer engineering, other engineering disciplines, and management at its main campus and satellite centers, making the institution one of the best computer engineering schools in the U.S.  

AFIT is a research university located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. AFIT offers graduate degrees in engineering, business, and management through its nine schools: Aeronautical Systems; Engineering Management; Information Sciences & Technology; International Security Affairs (ISA); Life Science & Environmental Engineering (LSE); Logistics Management Institute (LMIS); Professional Development & Distance Learning Center (PDDLC).

  • Cost: 1 – 3 years $10,094 – $17,513
  • Acceptance Rate: 45%
  • Avg GRE: 156V/151Q in the past five years before your application

We’ve covered the top best computer engineering schools in the U.S., but there are many others worth considering. If you want to learn more about these programs, select from any of the schools on this list that meet your requirements in terms of location that is proximity, cost of tuition, etc. 

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