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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering

693 Ranked Colleges
128,368 Degrees Awarded
$64,721 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 198,468 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 128,368 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 693 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. To top this list, a school must have a successful engineering program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 2,130 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 2,029 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Georgia Tech

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 693 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 2,005 students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Engineering at Purdue

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 1,839 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 94%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 1,760 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 94%.

Read more about Engineering at Ohio State

6
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,652 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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.

Full Virginia Tech Engineering Report

7
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 1,587 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Engineering Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 1,585 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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State Engineering Report

9

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 1,466 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Engineering Report

10
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 1,395 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.

Read more about Engineering at UF

11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 1,311 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at U-M

12

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 1,295 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 97%.

Full UT Austin Engineering Report

13

University of Central Florida landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 1,264 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Central Florida

14

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 1,244 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Engineering Report

15

University of California - Berkeley came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,169 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Engineering Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 1,095 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of Maryland - College Park

17
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Auburn University is a large public school situated in Auburn, Alabama. It awarded 1,088 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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%.

Full Auburn University Engineering Report

18

University of California - San Diego ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 1,069 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at UCSD

19

University of California - Irvine came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,051 bachelors’s degrees 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 1.4% 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 UC Irvine

20
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 1,028 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Engineering at Oregon State

21

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 1,017 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

22

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 1,016 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at UW - Madison

23
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

With a ranking of #23, Clemson University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Clemson, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 996 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Clemson University Engineering Report

24

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 973 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Engineering at UC Davis

25
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 941 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Engineering at San Jose State University

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
28
29
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
30
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
31
32
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado
32
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
32
35
36
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
37
38
39
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi
40
41
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
42
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
43
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
44
45
46
47
48
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
48
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
50
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX
52The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
53University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
54Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
55Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
56University of Puerto Rico - MayaguezMayaguez, PR
57University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
58University of HoustonHouston, TX
59Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
60Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
61The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
62Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
63University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
64University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
65Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY
RankCollegeLocation
66Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
67University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
68University of ToledoToledo, OH
69University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
70California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
71University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
72University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
73University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
73University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
75Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
76University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
77The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
78Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
79University of KentuckyLexington, KY
80University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
80University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL
82University of Wisconsin - PlattevillePlatteville, WI
83University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
84University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
85The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
86University of IowaIowa City, IA
87Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT
88Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
88California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
90University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
RankCollegeLocation
91The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
92University of California - MercedMerced, CA
93Boston UniversityBoston, MA
94University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
95University of Akron Main CampusAkron, OH
96Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
97California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
98University of DelawareNewark, DE
99University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
100Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WI
101University of KansasLawrence, KS
102Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA
103North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
104Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY

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Notes and References

References

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