Top engineering degrees for working in artificial intelligence

The field of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly with unexplored opportunities for advancing everyday living and solving big world challenges.  

It’s an excellent time to launch your career in the industry, whether you want to become an AI researcher, computer or data scientist, electrical engineer or an AI consultant. 

The QS World University Rankings by Subject provide an easy way to compare top universities based on a variety of ranking indicators. Covering seven subject areas within engineering and technology, the rankings are a great first step to finding your dream programme. 

To make it even easier, we’ve compiled a list of the top engineering degrees for working in AI.  

Degrees in computer science and information systems 

A degree in computer science and/or information systems will focus on the foundational skills in programming, hardware construction, network design and security to map and create new possibilities for computer technology in the future.  

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: Computer science and information systems
Subject rank	University	Location
1	Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Massachusetts, US
2	Carnegie Mellon University	Pennsylvania, US
3	Stanford University	California, US
4	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	California, US
5	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
6	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore
7	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
8	Harvard University	Massachusetts, US
9	ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology	Switzerland
10	École polytechniqye fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)	Switzerland

 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Ranked second in the world, the Major in Information Systems at Carnegie Mellon University combines computer science, information technology and business management with humanities and social sciences for a truly connected education.  

Students can choose from several concentrations and minor courses including machine learning, big data, robotics and artificial intelligence – the latter providing exposure to the mathematical and algorithmic underpinnings of AI and its applications in areas like computer vision, speech recognition and engineering.  

The university’s location in Pennsylvania, US is ideal for finding internships and work placements as there are many AI and tech companies across the state. The average salary of graduates from the class of 2022 is US$117,577.  

National University of Singapore 

The Department of Computing at the National University of Singapore (NUS) offers programmes in computer science, information systems and computer engineering. The university ranks sixth in the world and aims to prepare students for a rewarding career in the computing profession.  

Graduates at NUS have gone on to work at leading computing companies from Silicon Valley startups to Wall Street banks. As part of the bachelor’s programme, students have 10 elective modules in artificial intelligence and robotics to choose from, to explore how machines represent knowledge, make plans and decisions, sense and understand the world, as well as learn new knowledge.  

ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology 

The computer science department at ETH Zurich offers a bachelor’s degree in computer science and master’s programmes in data science, cyber security and robotics, systems and control.  

The university ranks 10th in the world for the subject and is made up of 45 professors from all over the world and spanning the many disciplines within computer science. Over 300 doctoral students and 110 post-doctoral and senior researchers contribute to maintaining the department’s high level of teaching and research. 

On the bachelor’s programme, students can choose elective modules including an introduction to machine learning, rigorous software engineering and algorithms and probability. There’s also an option to enjoy an exchange programme, studying at a choice of top universities around the world.  

Students on the master’s in robotics, systems and control benefit from the expertise of 10 internationally respected professors within robotics and artificial intelligence.  

 

Degrees in data science 

Data science is the practical application of collected data sets. Data scientists work to create interfaces and mechanisms to help access and manage information. A degree in this field often combines data analysis with machine learning, statistics and mathematics.  

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: Data science
Subject rank	University	Location
1	Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Massachusetts, US
2	Carnegie Mellon University	Pennsylvania, US
3	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	California, US
4	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
5	Harvard University	Massachusetts, US
6	University of Toronto	Canada
7	University of Washington	Washington, US
8	Princeton University	New Jersey, US
9	École polytechniqye fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)	Switzerland
10	Georgia Institute of Technology	Georgia, US

 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 

Ranked as the top university in the world in the QS World University Rankings, and in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Engineering & Technology category, the Massachussetts Institute of Technology offers top-ranking programmes in computer science, data science and electrical and electronic engineering. 

With a major in artificial intelligence and decision making, and elective modules including machine learning, advances in computer vision and applying data science and AI effectively, MIT has got you covered.  

The institution is also home to world-class AI and computer science research centres, where students can take advantage of the opportunity to work alongside the world’s greatest data and AI experts.  

University of Toronto 

At the University of Toronto, students can major in the field of data science, combining statistical skills with computer science methods to learn from data.  

Ranked sixth in the world for data science, UoT provides training in machine learning as a core part of the programme, but students can also choose to take a secondary major in artificial intelligence. 

The AI focus is designed to introduce students to the key scientific and technical developments in four sub-areas represented in the department: computer vision, computational linguistics, machine learning and knowledge representation and reasoning.  

The Toronto region of Canada is home to the highest concentration of AI startups in the world, attracting global talent to the city. With strong connections to the industry, students will have plenty of opportunities to take on internships and work placements.  

 

Degrees in electrical and electronic engineering 

A degree in electrical and electronic engineering will give you the knowledge and skills to work with the technology that shapes our everyday lives, in the fields of energy and information. From electrical circuits and systems to bioelectronics, data science and signal processing, a degree in this field of engineering can give you the academic and practical skills to thrive in the artificial intelligence industry.  

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: Electrical and electronic engineering
Subject rank	University	Location
1	Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Massachusetts, US
2	Stanford University	California, US
3	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	California, US
4	ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology	Switzerland
5	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
6	École polytechniqye fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)	Switzerland
7	Harvard University	Massachusetts, US
8	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
9	Imperial College London	United Kingdom
10	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore

 

Stanford University 

With minor courses including Dream it, Build it! and The Art and Science of Engineering Design, as well as Engineering For Good: Contributing to Saving the World and Having Fun Doing It – Stanford University arguably has the most creativity-focused electrical and electronic engineering provision.  

Ranked second in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Stanford University gives students the freedom to choose from a broad range of specialisms like hardware and software, physical technology, bio-electronics, energy and even music.  

The Stanford AI Lab has been a centre of excellence for artificial intelligence research and teaching since 1963. Students within the Department of Electrical Engineering have the opportunity to work with AI researchers as an internship or as part of a course project.  

EPFL 

École polytechniqye fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is one of the top public universities in Switzerland and focuses entirely on natural sciences and engineering. With options to study a bachelor’s or master’s programme in electrical and engineering, students can combine the fields of energy and information to advance the technology that impacts our daily lives.  

Ranked sixth in the world for the subject, EPFL focuses on both the theoretical and practical aspects of electrical and electronic engineering with projects and practical lab work complementing your academic learning.  

The school is developing state-of-the-art methodologies to enable autonomous systems with applications across a range of industries through the engineering and research of intelligent systems, wearable technologies, smart devices, augmented realities and more.  With 25 professors and scientists working in the field of AI, engineering students benefit from the learnings of this research and innovation  

Imperial College London 

The department of electrical and electronic engineering at Imperial College London ranks ninth in QS World University Rankings by Subject: Electrical & Electronic Engineering and provides world leading research and innovation in electronics, signal processing, computers, control systems and machine learning.  

The university is entirely focussed on STEM and business education, and offers both BEng and MEng programmes in electrical and electronic engineering and electronic and information engineering, plus an MSc in Applied Machine Learning.  

Imperial College London provide a customisable degree programme with 35 elective modules to choose from, including human-centred robotics to speech processing, artificial intelligence and deep learning. On the BEng and MEng programmes, students also have the option to take an integrated six-month industry placement and experience electrical and electronic engineering in practice.  

 

Discover more top degrees for a career in artificial intelligence with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.