# Engineering, General

> A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to solve a wide variety of practical problems in industry, social organization, public works, and commerce. Includes instruction in undifferentiated and individualized programs in engineering.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/engineering-general
- CIP code: 14.01 (Engineering)
- Colleges offering it: 452 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/engineering

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 74 | $76,614 | $85,144 | not reported |
| Associate's | 452 | $66,861 | $75,246 | $8,928 |
| Bachelor's | 254 | $73,310 | $87,517 | $23,687 |
| Master's | 130 | $107,628 | $122,820 | $31,098 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 57 | not reported | $138,038 | not reported |
| First professional | 3 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 35 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Franklin W Olin College of Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/college/franklin-w-olin-college-of-engineering-1027) | Needham, MA | $135,136 | $13,771 |
| [Harvey Mudd College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/harvey-mudd-college-1158) | Claremont, CA | $122,845 | $26,000 |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Pittsburgh, PA | $110,208 | not reported |
| [Brown University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brown-university-314) | Providence, RI | $108,550 | $19,000 |
| [McNeese State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/mcneese-state-university-1628) | Lake Charles, LA | $107,319 | $19,899 |
| [Lafayette College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lafayette-college-1414) | Easton, PA | $104,222 | not reported |
| [Michigan State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/michigan-state-university-1677) | East Lansing, MI | $102,301 | $21,500 |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Raleigh, NC | $99,838 | not reported |
| [Frostburg State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/frostburg-state-university-1036) | Frostburg, MD | $99,671 | not reported |
| [Wentworth Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wentworth-institute-of-technology-3195) | Boston, MA | $96,695 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-biodiesel-technology-and-product-development-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/energy-engineers-except-wind-and-solar): $122,930 median pay
- [Engineers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineers-all-other): $122,930 median pay
- [Mechatronics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mechatronics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Microsystems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/microsystems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Nanosystems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nanosystems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Photonics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/photonics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Robotics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/robotics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Solar Energy Systems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/solar-energy-systems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Wind Energy Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineering-teachers-postsecondary): $109,270 median pay

## More in Engineering

- [Mechanical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mechanical-engineering): 395 colleges
- [Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/electrical-electronics-and-communications-engineering): 387 colleges
- [Computer Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/computer-engineering): 367 colleges
- [Civil Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/civil-engineering): 300 colleges
- [Biomedical/Medical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/biomedical-medical-engineering): 200 colleges
- [Chemical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemical-engineering): 182 colleges
- [Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-environmental-health-engineering): 130 colleges
- [Industrial Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/industrial-engineering): 128 colleges

## Guides on this field

- [How to Compare Colleges by Major: Engineering, STEM, Pre-Med, and Business](https://www.collegesref.com/blog/how-to-compare-colleges-by-major)

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/