Some of the fastest-growing and most in-demand jobs in the U.S.are in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, related fields collectively known as STEM.Engineers, in particular, are in high demand in the tech, infrastructure and medical fields.A graduate degree is not always required for engineering positions, but a master’s or doctoral degree in engineering can lead to higher salaries and better career advancement.These are the 25 best graduate engineering programs, per U.S.News data.
– Top 25 Graduate Engineering Programs
Top Graduate Engineering SchoolsBest Graduate SchoolsEducationHome
See the 25 Best Engineering Graduate Programs
Jump-start your engineering career at these schools.
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Find a career in engineering.
(Princeton University, Office of Communications)|
25.Princeton University
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 873 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 3.4%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.
programs: 8.7%
Learn more about the Princeton School of Engineering & Applied Science.
Duke University Communications|
20 (tie).Duke University (Pratt)
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,135 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 38.7%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 13.7%
Learn more about the Pratt School of Engineering.
Chick Harrity for USN&WR|
20 (tie).Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 789 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 8.9%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 4.6%
Learn more about the John A.Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Photo by Glenn Asakawa|University of Colorado
20 (tie).University of Colorado—Boulder
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,449 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 59.3%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.
programs: 23.3%
Learn more about the University of Colorado—Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science.
(Jeffrey Greenberg|UIG via Getty Images)
20 (tie).University of Southern California (Viterbi)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 6,689 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 45.8%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.
programs: 15.3%
Learn more about the Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering.
Alex Alspaugh | University of Washington
20 (tie).University of Washington
Location: Seattle, Washington
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,179 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 52.9%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 10.8%
Learn more about the University of Washington College of Engineering.
(Vincent Castillo|Columbia University)
18 (tie).Columbia University (Fu Foundation)
Location: New York City, New York
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 4,955 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 26%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 8.10%
Learn more about the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.
John T.Consoli|University of Maryland
18 (tie).University of Maryland—College Park (Clark)
Location: College Park, Maryland
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,279 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 28%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 11.9%
Learn more about the A.
James Clark School of Engineering.
(Scott Spitzer, Office of University Communications)|
17.University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,217 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 21.8%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 10.2%
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science.
(Northwestern University)|
16.Northwestern University (McCormick)
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,465 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 25.4%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.
programs: 14.3%
Learn more about the Robert R.McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
(Texas A&M University)|
15 .Texas A&M University—College Station
Location: College Station, Texas
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 4,106 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 33.6%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 43.6%
Learn more about the Texas A&M University—College Station College of Engineering.
(Johns Hopkins University)|
13 (tie).
Johns Hopkins University (Whiting)
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,892 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 45.1%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 11.1%
Learn more about the [Whiting School of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/johns-hopkins-university-02073).
(Reed Hutchinson|UC—Los Angeles)
13 (tie).University of California—Los Angeles (Samueli)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,582 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 24.4%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.
programs: 11.4%
Learn more about the [Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-california-los-angeles-02024).
(Cornell University Photography)|
12.Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, New York
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,289 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 34%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 11%
Learn more about [Cornell University College of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/cornell-university-02118).
(Daryl Marshke|MichiganPhotography)
11.University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 4,109 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 37.3%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 14.2%
Learn more about the [University of Michigan—Ann Arbor College of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-02088).
(UC San Diego Publications|Erik Jepsen)
10.
University of California—San Diego (Jacobs)
Location: La Jolla, California
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,625 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 38.7%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 11.9%
Learn more about the [Jacobs School of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-california-san-diego-02025).
Courtesy of Carnegie Mellon|
7 (tie).Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 4,878 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 24%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 9.8%
Learn more about the [Carnegie Institute of Technology](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/carnegie-mellon-university-02152).
(University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign)|
7 (tie).
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Location: Urbana, Illinois
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 6,518 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 32.8%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 23%
Learn more about the [Grainger College of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign-02055).
The University of Texas at Austin|
7 (tie).University of Texas—Austin (Cockrell)
Location: Austin, Texas
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 5,127 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 20.2%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 16.2%
Learn more about the [Cockrell School of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-texas-austin-cockrell-02178).
(California Institute of Technology)|
5 (tie).
California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, California
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 546 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 6.6%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 4.5%
Learn more about the [Caltech Division of Engineering and Applied Science](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/california-institute-of-technology-02009).
(Joe Robbins|Getty Images)
5 (tie).Purdue University—Main Campus
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,799 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 15.1%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 20.3%
Learn more about [Purdue University College of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/purdue-university-main-campus-02057).
(Georgia Institute of Technology|Raftermen Photography)
4.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 6,861 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 25.4%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 16.6%
Learn more about the [Georgia Tech College of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/georgia-institute-of-technology-02049).
Steve McConnell|UC Berkeley Public Affairs
3.University of California, Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, California
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 2,739 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 27.8%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 7.8%
Learn more about the [UC, Berkeley College of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-california-berkeley-02021).
(Linda Cicero, Stanford News Service)|
2.
Stanford University
Location: Stanford, California
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,929 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 10.6%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 7.9%
Learn more about the [Stanford School of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/stanford-university-02020).
(Patrick Gillooly|Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
1.Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Total graduate engineering school enrollment in fall 2024: 3,445 students
Acceptance rate for engineering master’s programs: 11.4%
Acceptance rate for engineering Ph.D.programs: 5.9%
Learn more about the [MIT School of Engineering](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/massachusetts-institute-of-technology-02077).
(Getty Images)|
Learn more about the Best Graduate Schools.
Check out all of the 2025 [Best Graduate Schools](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools) rankings.You can also [sign up for a free U.S.News account](https://secure.usnews.com/commerce/signup) to receive content like this via email and stay up to date on education news by following U.S.News Education on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/usnewsandworldreport), [X/Twitter](https://twitter.com/USNewsEducation) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/u.s.-news-&-world-report).
Top graduate engineering programs
– 1.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
– 2.
Stanford University (CA)
– 3.University of California, Berkeley
– 4.
Georgia Institute of Technology
– 5 (tie).California Institute of Technology
– 5 (tie).Purdue University—Main Campus
– 7 (tie).Carnegie Mellon University (Carnegie) (PA)
– 7 (tie).University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Grainger)
– 10.University of California—San Diego (Jacobs)
– 11.
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
– 12.Cornell University (NY)
– 13 (tie).Johns Hopkins University (Whiting) (MD)
– 13 (tie).University of California—Los Angeles (Samueli)
– 15.Texas A&M University—College Station
– 16.Northwestern University (McCormick) (IL)
– 17.University of Pennsylvania
– 18 (tie).Columbia University (Fu Foundation) (NY)
– 18 (tie).
University of Maryland—College Park (Clark)
– 20 (tie).Duke University (Pratt) (NC)
– 20 (tie).Harvard University (Paulson) (MA)
– 20 (tie).University of Colorado—Boulder
– 20 (tie).
University of Southern California (Viterbi)
– 20 (tie).University of Washington
– 25.Princeton University (NJ)
[Next](?slide=2).
