Computer Engineering
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Types of Degrees Computer Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many computer engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 5,020 |
Doctor’s Degree | 386 |
Graduate Certificate | 151 |
What Computer Engineering Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, CE majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for CE Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills for CE Majors
When studying CE, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for CE Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a CE student include the following:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Computer Engineering Major?
People with a CE degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Computer Hardware Engineers | 5.4% | $114,600 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Software Developers, Applications | 30.7% | $103,620 |
Software Developers, Systems Software | 11.1% | $110,000 |
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists | 6.5% | $109,020 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of CE majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 418 |
Black or African American | 91 |
Hispanic or Latino | 180 |
White | 743 |
International Students | 3,451 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 137 |
Geographic Diversity
CE appeals to people across the globe. About 68.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- India
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Iran
How Much Do Computer Engineering Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in CE was $95,795 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $86,267 (25th percentile) and $113,380 (75th percentile).
We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to CE so take that into consideration.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $111,130 to $117,840 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to CE. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computer Engineering
Some degrees associated with CE may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for CE careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.6% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 4.0% |
Some College Courses | 0.6% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 4.1% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 59.6% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 2.7% |
Master’s Degree | 18.9% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 1.6% |
Doctoral Degree | 6.1% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 1.6% |
Online Computer Engineering Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 404 schools offered some type of computer engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 3 | 1 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 29 | 4 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 42 | 12 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 194 | 28 |
Post-Master’s | 7 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 75 | 3 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 2 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Computer Engineering Worth It?
The median salary for a CE grad is $113,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 185% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,475,600 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Computer Engineering
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Majors Related to Computer Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to CE.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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