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2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate

234 Ranked Colleges
10,936 Degrees Awarded
$111,936 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate

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 “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 198,468 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. 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 “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 234 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in engineering.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate”.

1

Out of the 234 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 379 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at Georgia Tech

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 234 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 365 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Engineering Report

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 234 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 262 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%. 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 more about Engineering at Stanford

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 257 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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.

Read more about Engineering at Texas A&M College Station

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 255 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 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%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 244 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Engineering at MIT

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

North Carolina State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 214 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 North Carolina State University

8

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 205 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Engineering Report

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 201 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 2.3% 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%.

Full UIUC Engineering Report

10
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 179 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Virginia Tech Engineering Report

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 176 doctorate’s 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%. 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus Engineering Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 168 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 more about Engineering at UC Berkeley

13
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 163 doctorate’s engineering degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at University of Florida

14

University of California - San Diego came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 162 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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.

Read more about Engineering at UCSD

15

With a ranking of #15, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 158 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 145 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Engineering Report

17
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 144 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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. 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Carnegie Mellon Engineering Report

18

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 135 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at UCLA

19

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 132 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at UMCP

20

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 124 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.

Full UW - Madison Engineering Report

21

University of Colorado Boulder landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 120 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at CU - Boulder

22

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #22. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Central Florida Engineering Report

22
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 118 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell Engineering Report

24
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 116 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Engineering at Northwestern

25

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate list. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 111 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Engineering Report

25

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 111 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 93%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 35 in Most Well Attended Engineering Major for a Doctorate

Not only did these schools make the top 35 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
28
29
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
30
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
31
32
33
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
34
34
34
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

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