by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a general engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find where general engineering graduates earn the most.
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Below are the schools whose general engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of Wisconsin Madison tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying general engineering schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public institution. General Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of about $133,037 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Michigan State University earned it the #2 place for general engineering. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. General Engineering graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of about $96,847 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in general engineering will find them at University Of Southern Indiana, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Evansville, University Of Southern Indiana is a public institution. After graduating, general engineering degree recipients from University Of Southern Indiana typically earn about $86,984 annually.
Olivet Nazarene University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in general engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $92,885.
A rank of #5 makes Sinclair Community College one of the highest-paying schools for general engineering. Sinclair Community College is a public school located in the city of Dayton. General Engineering graduates of Sinclair Community College earn a median of about $70,063 a year early in their careers.
Calvin College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general engineering schools. Calvin College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,670.
Hope College placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for general engineering. Hope College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Holland. Early-career general engineering graduates from Hope College make a median of around $87,793 per year.
Ivy Tech Community College earned the #8 position for general engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $65,706.
University Of Wisconsin Platteville came in at #9 for general engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a public institution. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $112,412.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee earned the #10 position for general engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a public institution. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $115,746.
Case Western Reserve University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general engineering schools. Located in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $100,475.
Western Illinois University landed the #12 spot for general engineering salaries this year. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. General Engineering graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of about $66,112 a year early in their careers.
Elgin Community College came in at #13 for general engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a public institution. General Engineering graduates of Elgin Community College earn a median of about $46,125 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries general engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 13 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.