by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. 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 9 schools to find where general engineering graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose general engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Cornell University, our #1 for general engineering graduate salaries in New York. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $115,100.
Students chasing top earnings in general engineering will find them at Hudson Valley Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Troy, Hudson Valley Community College is a public institution. General Engineering graduates of Hudson Valley Community College earn a median of about $76,708 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in general engineering will find them at Dutchess Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess Community College is a public institution. General Engineering graduates of Dutchess Community College earn a median of about $74,796 a year early in their careers.
Monroe Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Rochester, Monroe Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the general engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $73,051.
Students chasing top earnings in general engineering will find them at Cuny Queensborough Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Bayside, Cuny Queensborough Community College is a public institution. After graduating, general engineering degree recipients from Cuny Queensborough Community College typically earn about $67,394 annually.
Stony Brook University came in at #6 for general engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a public institution. After graduating, general engineering degree recipients from Stony Brook University typically earn about $95,741 annually.
Suffolk County Community College came in at #7 for general engineering graduate earnings this year. Suffolk County Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Selden. Early-career general engineering graduates from Suffolk County Community College make a median of around $64,156 per year.
Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College landed the #8 spot for general engineering salaries this year. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College is a public institution. After graduating, general engineering degree recipients from Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College typically earn about $63,905 annually.
Cuny College Of Staten Island landed the #9 spot for general engineering salaries this year. Set in the city of Staten Island, Cuny College Of Staten Island is a public institution. After graduating, general engineering degree recipients from Cuny College Of Staten Island typically earn about $80,915 annually.
This list is compiled 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 · 9 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.