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Top Engineering Schools in the US
Sabrina Collier
Updated Aug 05, 2024Save
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The recent QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 covers the best universities for 51 different subjects, including 520 top engineering and technology schools around the world – 92 of which are in the US.
The ranking covers five different branches of engineering – chemical, civil and structural, electrical, mechanical, and mineral and mining.
The rankings are compiled using four indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper and the H-index (a way of measuring the productivity and impact of published work). You can find out more about the methodology used here.
Top 10 Universities for the Engineering and Technology Subject Area in the US
Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
US ranking
World ranking
Name of Institution
Location
1
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts
2
2
Stanford University
California
3
7
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
California
4
11
Harvard University
Massachusetts
5
13
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Georgia
6
14
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
California
7
17
Carnegie Mellon University
8
19
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
California
9
25
University of Texas at Austin
Texas
10
26
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Illinois
MIT maintains its top position in the world for engineering and technology, with a perfect score for academic reputation.
Of the 91 engineering and technology schools in the US, 16 appear in the world top 50. One particularly notable entrant is Yale University, rising 27 places in this year’s ranking to reach joint 43rd position.
See the full engineering and technology subject rankings.`
Chemical engineering
Top Five Universities for Chemical Engineering in the US
Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
US ranking
World ranking
Name of Institution
Location
1
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts
2
2
Stanford University
California
3
4
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
California
4
9
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
California
5
15
Princeton University
New Jersey
US universities make up 84 of the 400 universities featured in the latest chemical engineering rankings. Of these, 18 US universities are ranked within the top 50 worldwide for chemical engineering.
Within the global top 50, the University of Minnesota made the biggest improvement from the previous year, climbing from 26th to 20th position.
View the full chemical engineering rankings.
Civil & structural engineering
Top Five Universities for Civil and Structural Engineering in the US
Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
US ranking
World ranking
Name of Institution
Location
1
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts
2
4
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
California
3
10=
Stanford University
California
4
15
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Georgia
5
20
University of Texas at Austin
Texas
In the civil and structural engineering rankings this year, there are 202 universities featured, with 34 of these in the US. Again, MIT comes out on top worldwide and there are nine universities featured in the world top 50.
The University of Texas at Austin is worth a mention this year, climbing seven places to 20th. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor also performs well, rising an impressive six places to joint 35. UCLA enters the top 50 this year in 49th place, up from 51-100.
View the full civil and structural engineering rankings..
Electrical engineering
Top Five Universities for Electrical Engineering in the US
Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
US ranking
World ranking
Name of Institution
Location
1
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts
2
2
Stanford University
California
3
3
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
California
4
11
Harvard University
Massachusetts
5
13
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
California
The electrical engineering subject rankings feature the most universities of any other engineering subject ranking, with 503 universities, including 81 in the US. MIT claims the top position for electrical engineering in the world.
Of the other 15 US entries in the world top 50, Carnegie Mellon University rises three positions to 21st and Columbia University enters the global top 50, in 49th.
See the full electrical engineering rankings.
Testimonials
Mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing engineering
Top Five Universities for Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering in the US
Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
US ranking
World ranking
Name of Institution
Location
1
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts
2
2
Stanford University
California
3
4
Harvard University
Massachusetts
4
6
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
California
5
12
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Michigan
Of the 500 ranked mechanical, aeronautical and mechanical engineering universities in the world, 91 are in the US. MIT is in the top position in the world, closely followed by Stanford University in second place.
The US has 15 top 50 entries this year. Pennsylvania State University performs well this year, rising eight places to joint 37th. Cornell University moves down nine places this year to joint 45th. The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign also takes a fall in the index this year, dropping 10 positions to 48th.
See this full mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering rankings.
Mineral & mining engineering
Top Five Universities for Mineral and Mining Engineering in the US
Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
US ranking
World ranking
Name of Institution
Location
1
1
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado
2
10
Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania
3
22
The University of Arizona
Arizona
4
26
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia
5
31
University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado
The smallest of the engineering rankings, with only 60 universities featured (including 11 in the US), the mineral and mining index was first published in 2016. Colorado School of Mines comes out on top in the mineral and mining subject rankings this year, in first place both in the US and worldwide.
Outside of the top five, the University of Utah and new entry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, both perform well, with the former ranking in 35th this year, and the latter joining in 46th.
See the full mineral and mining engineering rankings.
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The former Assistant Editor of TopUniversities.com, Sabrina wrote and edited articles to guide students from around the world on a wide range of topics. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Aberystwyth University and grew up in Staffordshire, UK.
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