College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering

234 Ranked Colleges
10,936 Degrees Awarded
$111,936 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 198,468 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, engineering is the 7th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,653 and had an average of $23,855 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,936 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major” ranking looked at 234 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. That schools that top this list have a program in engineering in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Engineering Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree engineering students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 81 degrees to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Engineering at California Institute of Technology

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 234 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 244 degrees to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering Report

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 262 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Stanford University

4

Out of the 234 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 379 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Engineering Report

5
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Out of the 234 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado School of Mines landed the #5 spot on the list. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 62 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Engineering at Colorado School of Mines

6

Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #6. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

7

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 17 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at SD Mines

8

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management is a small public school situated in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. It awarded 19 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Engineering at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management

9
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at Princeton

10
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #10. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 365 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Engineering Report

11
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 144 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Engineering Report

12

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 57 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

13
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 65 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at Rice University

14

With a ranking of #14, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major list. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Michigan Tech

15
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #15. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 214 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at NC State

16
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major list. Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 42 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Engineering at Lehigh

17
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 179 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Virginia Tech

18

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #18. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a small public school situated in Socorro, New Mexico. It awarded 6 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Engineering at New Mexico Tech

19

With a ranking of #19, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major list. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 63 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Case Western Reserve University Engineering Report

20

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Illinois Tech Engineering Report

21

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 255 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full U-M Engineering Report

22
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 70 degrees to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Notre Dame Engineering Report

23

University of California - San Francisco landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. UCSF is a small public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 16 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Engineering at University of California - San Francisco

24

With a ranking of #24, New Jersey Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major list. Newark, New Jersey is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at NJIT

25
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 118 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Engineering at Cornell

Rest of the Best 36 in Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Clarkson crest
Clarkson University
Potsdam, New York
27
28
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
29
30
31
32
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
33
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine crest
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Rochester, Minnesota
34
35
36
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Switch to a More Focused Major

General Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering

Agricultural Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

Computer Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering

Engineering Mechanics
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Science
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science

Materials Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering

Marine Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering

Ocean Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering

Systems Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering

Forest Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Forest Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering

Surveying Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering

Paper Science & Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering

Robotics Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

Architectural Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering

Ceramic Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering

Civil Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering

Engineering Physics
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering

Nuclear Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering

Textile Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Textile Engineering

Construction Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering

Industrial Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering

Operations Research
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research

Geoscience Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering

Electromechanical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electromechanical Engineering

Biological Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering

Other Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options