Top 15 Best Colleges for Engineering
Engineering students have the choice among a wide range of fields, from aeronautical to chemical to civil engineering. During college, students often participate in internships or co-ops that may lead to a full-time job upon graduation. Engineering students are lucky in the sense that their major leads directly to a career, unlike other broader subjects.
If you’re interested in studying engineering in college, here are the top 15 best schools in the country for engineering, plus what it takes to get into these colleges. See the complete list of top schools for engineering majors.
Check out our video to learn more about the top schools for engineering!
Top 15 Best Colleges for Engineering
Click on the school to jump to a link where you can learn more about the college and what it takes to get in.
| School Name | Location | Acceptance Rate (2019) | Middle 50% SAT Scores | Middle 50% ACT Scores |
| 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | 6.7% | 1520-1580 | 34-36 |
| 2. California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 6.4% | 1530-1570 | 35-36 |
| 3. Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 4.3% | 1440-1550 | 32-35 |
| 4. Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | 5.8% | 1460-1570 | 33-35 |
| 5. Harvard University | Cambridge, MA | 4.5% | 1460-1580 | 33-35 |
| 6. UC Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 16.8% | 1350-1540 | 30-35 |
| 7. Columbia University | New York, NY | 5.3% | 1480-1560 | 33-35 |
| 8. Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | 15.4% | 1460-1560 | 33-35 |
| 9. Duke University | Durham, NC | 7.8% | 1500-1560 | 33-35 |
| 10. University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 7.7% | 1460-1550 | 33-35 |
| 11. Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | 10.6% | 1400-1560 | 32-35 |
| 12. Rice University | Houston, TX | 8.7% | 1470-1560 | 33-35 |
| 13. Yale University | New Haven, CT | 6.1% | 1470-1560 | 33-35 |
| 14. Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | 9.2% | 1480-1550 | 33-35 |
| 15. Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 9.1% | 1450-1540 | 33-35 |
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance Rate: 6.7%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 4,602
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1520-1580 SAT, 34-36 ACT
Learn more about MIT and what it takes to get accepted.
2. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Location: Pasadena, CA
Acceptance Rate: 6.4%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 948
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1530-1570 SAT, 35-36 ACT
Learn more about Caltech and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
Acceptance Rate: 4.3%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 7,087
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1440-1550 SAT, 32-35 ACT
Learn more about Stanford and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
Acceptance Rate: 5.8%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 5,267
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1570 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Princeton and what it takes to get accepted.
5. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance Rate: 4.5%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,788
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1580 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Harvard and what it takes to get accepted.
6. UC Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
Acceptance Rate: 16.8%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 30,853
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1350-1540 SAT, 30-35 ACT
Learn more about UC Berkeley and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Acceptance Rate: 5.3%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,202
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1480-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Columbia and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Acceptance Rate: 15.4%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,947
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1470-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Carnegie Mellon and what it takes to get accepted.
9. Duke University
Location: Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: 7.8%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,682
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1500-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Duke and what it takes to get accepted.
10. University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Acceptance Rate: 7.7%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 10,183
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1550 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about UPenn and what it takes to get accepted.
11. Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, NY
Acceptance Rate: 10.6%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 15,182
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1400-1560 SAT, 32-35 ACT
Learn more about Cornell and what it takes to get accepted.
12. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
Acceptance Rate: 8.7%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 3,992
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1470-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Rice and what it takes to get accepted.
13. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
Acceptance Rate: 6.1%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 5,964
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1470-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Yale and what it takes to get accepted.
14. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, MD
Acceptance Rate: 9.2%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,064
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1480-1550 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Johns Hopkins and what it takes to get accepted.
15. Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, IL
Acceptance Rate: 9.1%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 8,231
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1450-1540 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Northwestern and what it takes to get accepted.
There are many more schools that are great for engineering majors. See the complete list of best colleges for engineering.
Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!
