It’s no surprise that engineering is a popular major among students because of the many doors it can open for them professionally and personally. Since this expands your horizons, you can pick any industry you like and work on solving problems that are common there.
There are several options accessible to you, and while going to a prestigious university is sometimes recommended, it is not required. Just because a certain school is not at the top of the list does not mean it is the worst option. If you take the time to research all of your options, you’ll be in a much better position to select the one that’s right for you. Here is a rundown of the top ten engineering programs in the United States.
1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the world’s most prestigious universities (MIT). In 1861, it was established as a private land grant research institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. It was set up as a response to and in aid of the massive industrialisation taking place in the United States at the time. Since its founding, it has made important contributions to the advancement of contemporary science and technology. The QS World University Ranking 2021 places MIT as the top institution worldwide in the field of engineering and technology.
QS’s top-of-the-world ranking of MIT’s engineering school is further proof that the school is a leader in innovation, a crucial aspect of the engineering field. However, MIT’s School of Engineering is ranked no. 6 globally by The Times Higher Education.
The tagline “We turn off our ‘NO’ switch” acts as a guiding philosophy for the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So, any scientific idea you can dream up has a fighting chance of becoming a reality at MIT, just as the “Moon Shots” that MIT helped make a reality.
2. American university Stanford
The official name of this educational establishment is the Leland Stanford Jr. University. The late Leland Stanford Jr. inspired his parents to start Stanford University in 1885 after he tragically went away at a young age. It is a private institution with a strong emphasis on academic inquiry. According to the QS World University Rankings for Engineering 2021, Stanford University is ranked second globally. One of the largest campuses in the entire country is located here. This university has a campus that is 8,180 acres in size and is home to more than 17,000 students.
The School of Engineering at Stanford is highly regarded around the world, and for good reason. The school’s researchers have made significant contributions to a wide range of academic disciplines. QS concurs with THE, rating this school in the top two worldwide for engineering education.
Furthermore, many universities cannot even come close to competing with Stanford in terms of institutions, labs, and centers that encourage research and engineering. 55 laboratories and centers and 5 institutes make up Stanford University’s School of Engineering.
3. Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a collegiate institution, which means that in addition to the central administration, a number of constituent colleges are responsible for carrying out the various functions of the university. The cornerstone for this prestigious university was laid in 1209, and in 1231, King Henry III conferred upon it the Royal Charter. It’s the third-oldest university in the world, but the second-oldest one where classes are taught in English. According to the QS World Ranking 2021, it is the third-best engineering college in the world. This data is derived from the position.
The Times Higher Education’s (THE) third-place ranking for engineering research validates Cambridge’s claim that it is among the world’s top universities in this field. In addition, QS ranks Cambridge as the world’s fourth-best university for an engineering degree.
4. Swiss institution ETH Zurich
In 1854, the Swiss federal government founded this university in Zurich to serve as a public research institution. The mission of this academic establishment is to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. There is a heavy focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses at this university. Not only that, but it falls under the purview of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology.
Velcro, the Swiss Army Knife, the potato peeler, and edible gold chocolate are just a few of the many inventions that can trace their roots back to Switzerland. Do you see why we included ETH Zurich now? The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich is a top-tier institution for research and education in the mathematical and physical sciences (STEM). In 2017, 20,607 students were enrolled at the institution that had its beginnings in 1855.
Given that ETH Zurich is primarily a STEM institution, its Engineering department’s excellent global standing is hardly surprising. Although it is ranked third by QS Top University, it is only eighth by HE.
Additionally, IBM Research and the Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center are partners in one of the university’s six interdisciplinary STEm research centers (BRNC).
One Turing Award winner, two Field Medalists, twenty-two Nobel laureates, and three Pritzker Prize laureates have all been associated with this institute. Among the alumni of this prestigious school is Albert Einstein, who is widely regarded as one of the most eminent and well-known scientists in history. Further, ETH Zurich is a pioneer in the CESAER Network and the IDEA League, both of which it helped build (Alliance of Five Leading Technological Universities of Europe). There are many famous persons in the world who attended this university.
5. Imperial College London
Its entire name, the Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, makes the illustrious Imperial College of London all the more impressive. In 1907, the City and Guilds of London Institute, the Royal School of Mines, and the Royal College of Science merged to form the University of London, a public research institution established by Royal Charter.
Imperial College London, meanwhile, is a public institution of higher education in the city of London, United Kingdom. Over 17,000 students are taught by 3,765 instructors and staff. This British institution frequently places in the top 100 worldwide universities according to numerous rankings.
The Engineering Faculty at this institution is especially proud of its dedication to providing excellent education and cutting-edge research in all areas of engineering. It’s not just bravado; Imperial College London is ranked 11th by The Times Higher Education and 8th by QS as one of the top places to get an engineering degree in the world.
This claim is supported by the country’s thirty research institutes and centers, all of which do research that advances science and technology.
6. Oxford University.
The University of Oxford is not only one of the world’s oldest but also one of the most prestigious and well-known educational institutions. Oxford University was established in 1096 in the English city of Oxford. Because it is a university with several different schools under its umbrella, the administration delegates many different tasks to the individual schools. The University of Oxford states that it is the oldest English-speaking university in the world. It is also the second oldest university in continuous operation, making it the second oldest university in the world.
When it comes to engineering programs, THE ranks Oxford as the fifth greatest university in the world, while QS ranks it as the seventh best. In either case, there is sufficient evidence for both ranking agencies to support their positions that Oxford’s engineering school deserves to be near the top of the list.
And when it comes to engineering research in the UK, Oxford is a major player. There are five institutes in the city that are all focused on advancing engineering research; the Oxford Robotics Institute is one of them.
Meanwhile, Oxford has built a strong reputation for its ability to offer a top-notch education across the board, in both established and emerging areas of engineering. This explains why biomedical engineering and energy and the environment programs are both unique to Oxford and not offered at many other universities.
7. Berkeley, California, USA
The University of California at Berkeley, commonly referred to as UC Berkeley, is one of the many public universities that make up the University of California system. It’s the oldest in the system and located in the city of Berkeley, California, where it was founded in 1868. The University of California, Berkeley is a big and comprehensive institution, with an enrollment of 43,204 students as of the Fall 2019 semester. To be clear, this in no way reflects poorly on the quality of education at Berkeley.
Cal’s engineering school, the College of Engineering, is ranked fifth by QS and fourteenth by THE among the world’s top. The Berkeley Software Distribution is headquartered in the university’s college of Engineering, which also has 17 research institutions, programs, and laboratories, making UC Berkeley’s inclusion in this ranking unfeasible (BSD).
8. National University of Singapore – Singapore
Located in Singapore, National University of Singapore comes in at number eight on the list.
The National University of Singapore was established in 1905 in the neighborhood of Queenstown, which is now a part of Singapore. It is a research institution and one of the oldest universities in Singapore, with a collegiate structure and full autonomy. It has a reputation for excellence not only in Asia and the Pacific, but also throughout the rest of the world. It had a crucial role in pushing forward the frontiers of science and technology.
With a QS ranking of #9 and a THE ranking of #12, NUS’s School of Engineering is consistently recognized as one of the world’s top engineering programs. Given these positions, the school’s motto, “We Engineer Passion,” rings true. Seven cutting-edge research facilities can be found on the NUS campus, and the engineering degree programs offered here are at the forefront of what’s to come in the world of engineering and science.
9. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Nanyang Technical University, another Singaporean institution of higher education, is included (NTU). It was formed in Singapore and holds the distinction of being the country’s second-oldest public university. Although NTU is primarily a technological university, its large student body of 31,687 includes many students enrolled in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. What sets NTU distinct from other institutions is the emphasis it places on scientific and technological degrees.
QS ranks Nanyang Technical Institution as the world’s sixth best university for engineering, while The Economist ranks it as the world’s fifteenth best. This exemplifies not only the fact that NTU’s six Colleges provide excellent engineering degrees, but also that the university is a major player in international engineering research.
With access to 36 research institutes and key facilities, the College of Engineering at NTU is unquestionably a world leader in engineering research.
10.The California Institute of Technology
UC Berkeley, in the state of California, is the 10th most popular university in the United States.
The California Institute of Technology, or Caltech for short, is a renowned private research university in the city of Pasadena in the U.S. state of California. It began life in 1891 as a trade school but by 1910 had expanded its mission to become a full-fledged university. There are only 2,333 students enrolled at Caltech, making it one of the smaller clusters of U.S. universities that are primarily dedicated to the pure and applied sciences (Wikipedia).
The inclusion of Caltech on our list of top US engineering schools should come as no surprise. Despite not being included on QS’s list of the top 10 colleges in the world for engineering, THE still recognizes it as the best school in the field. Also, Caltech is home to 21 research labs and centers that all work to advance scientific theory and methodology.
Caltech’s claim to be among the world’s best engineering schools is supported by the fact that its Division of Engineering and Applied Science is home to seven departments, each of which provides a distinctive engineering degree program.
