Top Universities for Engineering According to Employers

The recently released QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020 features 502 of the world’s top engineering and technology schools. You can view the full engineering and technology rankings here.

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.

Read on as we explore the top 10 engineering and technology schools according to employers, based on the employer reputation indicator…

10) Imperial College London 

In 10^th place for employer reputation in engineering and technology is Imperial College London, which achieved a score of 88.8 (out of 100) in this indicator. Imperial College is ranked seventh globally for the subject.

The university’s engineering department undertakes a wide range of industry partnerships with leading engineering and technology firms including Jaguar Land Rover, Shell, Dyson, Petronas and ABB.

9) Ecole Polytechnique

Ninth in the table for employer reputation is France’s Ecole Polytechnique, which scores an impressive 89.5 in this indicator. The university is ranked joint 57^th in the world and first in France.

Students on the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program at Ecole Polytechnique undertake mandatory company internships to introduce them to the corporate world. They also participate in mandatory research internships, with one in three undergraduate students going on to study for a PhD.

8) CentraleSupélec

In eighth place for employer reputation is France’s second-highest ranked engineering school, CentraleSupélec. The school achieves a score of 90.1 in the employer reputation indicator and is ranked joint 59^th globally. 

CentraleSupélec help students prepare for the workplace with business internships of between eight and 24 months, plus a mandatory six-month placement abroad. 

7) Bauman Moscow State Technical University

Seventh in the table for employer reputation is the Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), which achieves a score of 93 in the employer reputation indicator. It is the lowest ranked school globally in the employer reputation table, placing 243^rd globally. 

BMSTU has an impressive alumni list, including many Russian aeronautical engineers. Notable among these is Sergei Korolev, a leading Soviet rocket engineer who helped launch the first human being, Yuri Gagarin, into space. 

6) Stanford University

In sixth place in the employer reputation rankings is Stanford University, who rank in second place globally for engineering and technology. They score an impressive 94.7 in the employer reputation indicator, although their highest score comes from the research citations per paper indicator where they earn a near perfect score.

BEAM (Stanford University’s Career center) offers a huge range of resources to improve student employability, including interview advice and preparation, career fairs, internship help, and Handshake – the university’s employment opportunity database.

5) University of Oxford

Fifth for employer reputation is the University of Oxford, which scores 97.1 in this indicator, placing sixth globally. Oxford’s highest score in the rankings is for employer reputation, reflecting how highly-regarded the oldest university in the English-speaking world is by employers.

Oxford’s Career Advice service helps students and graduates with summer internships, CVs and cover letters, career choices, psychometric tests and careers fairs. They have recently given students access to employers’ green credentials in the CareerConnect system, which allows you to compare employers’ stances on environmental issues and learn more about the companies.

4) Lomonosov Moscow State University 

The highest-ranked university in Russia, Lomonosov Moscow State University is fourth in the employer reputation rankings with a score of 97.3. The university is ranked joint 59^th globally, tied with France’s CentraleSupélec.

The university is considered one of the most prestigious in Russia and counts former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Nobel Laureate for literature Boris Pasternak amongst its many alumni.

3) University of Cambridge

Third for employer reputation with a score of 98, the University of Cambridge is also third in the world for the engineering and technology subject area, once place higher than last year.

Cambridge’s career services help students connect with employers, find opportunities and job vacancies and explore a variety of career sectors through careers events and one-on-one meetings. Engineering undergraduates are required to complete six weeks of industrial experience by the end of third year, either by deferring entry or working during vacation time.

2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

The global leader in engineering and technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) nonetheless is second in the world by employer reputation, narrowly beating the University of Cambridge with a score of 98.1. However, MIT is the only school in the subject ranking to achieve a perfect score for academic reputation.

MIT’s Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) offer services such as career counselling, help with CV, cover letters or LinkedIn profiles, and mock interviews. CAPD also have a reciprocity arrangement with the Harvard Office of Career Services, whereby students participate in career fairs and events at Harvard University and use their careers job board. 

1) Harvard University

Achieving a perfect score and topping the table for employer reputation is Harvard University, which ranks 12^th globally for engineering and technology. The university also achieves a perfect score in the research citations per paper indicator.

Harvard’s school of engineering offers a variety of services to help students become more employable, such as one-to-one sessions with the director of career development and internship opportunities with both private and public sector companies and the US government.