If you’re curious about what it takes to build hardware and software systems and the costs and management involved, then a computer engineering degree could be a great fit for you.

By their trade, computer engineers often find themselves at the forefront of cutting-edge development. By understanding the fundamentals of what makes a computer tick, your skills will be in high demand in an increasingly digitized world. You will be continuously adapting to new technologies, and your knowledge will be applicable across the world. 

If this sounds like a career you’d like to pursue, here are 10 highly rated computer engineering courses to consider:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering

Private or Public: Private

Location: Cambridge, MA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $59,750

Student to faculty ratio: 3:1

Average class size: 10

Acceptance Rate: 4.8% 

Notable Alumni: Robert Metcalfe, Richard Feynman, William Shockley 

MIT’s computer science and engineering degree covers an array of topics fundamental to the discipline. You will learn about fundamental computer science and engineering theory, software engineering, programming languages, human-computer interactions, AI, and machine learning. MIT has one of — if not the best — computer engineering departments globally and its research focuses on AI, developing next-gen communication and computer systems, quantum computing, and much more. 

As an undergraduate student, you will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects and study abroad programs. 

2. Stanford University’s B.S. in Computer Science (Computer Engineering track)

Private or Public: Private

Location: Stanford, CA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $62,484

Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1

Average class size: 10-20

Acceptance Rate: 5% 

Notable Alumni: Larry Page, Sundar Pichai, Parag Agarwal

If you choose a computer engineering track during your CS degree at Stanford Engineering, your study areas will focus on three major themes: 

• Networking: learn the fundamentals of networking hardware and software

• Digital systems: learn how to design and build hardware and the associated low-level software required for its maintenance

• Robotics and mechatronics: Build robot hardware and software 

Additionally, if you have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.6, you can opt for Stanford’s Honors program, which involves a research project under faculty guidance.  

3. University of California - Berkeley’s B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Private or Public: Public

Location: Berkeley, CA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $19,460. Out-of-state students pay a supplemental $32,574 fee

Student to faculty ratio: 17.8:1

Average class size: < 30

Acceptance Rate: 7.1% 

Notable Alumni: Steve Wozniak, Douglas Engelbart, Eric Schmidt

Stanford Engineering’s electrical engineering and computer science degree is ranked among the top 3 globally and is designed to give you the tools to solve problems of the future, be it designing more efficient electrical grids, inventing medical machines, or even designing new computer systems. 

You can either apply directly for the program as a freshman or into the College of Engineering with an undeclared major. You can even opt for a double degree in management, entrepreneurship, and technology.

4. Carnegie Mellon University’s B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Private

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $70,443

Student to faculty ratio: 10:1

Average class size: 25-35

Acceptance Rate: 11% 

Notable Alumni: Vinod Khosla, Yishan Wong, John Forbes Nash Jr

Carnegie encourages students enrolled in its electrical and computer engineering degree to undertake research projects. Besides covering the fundamentals of computer engineering, you are encouraged to innovate and participate in interdisciplinary research projects that include biomedical and energy projects, brain-machine interaction, smart grids, and more. 

Note: the degree’s eligibility criteria include four years of mathematics and English in high school, at least two years of foreign language studies, one year of chemistry, physics, and biology, and at least two electives.

5. Georgia Institute of Technology’s B.S. in Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Public

Location: Atlanta, GA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $10,770 for Georgia residents and $32,940 for non-residents

Student-to-faculty ratio: 22:1

Average class size: 20-30

Acceptance Rate: 17%

Notable alumni: Dean Kamen, Jan Davis, Rosalind Picard

Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers separate undergraduate degrees in both electrical and computer engineering. The latter focuses on design, hardware architecture, networks, and computer applications, and offers multiple courses relating to cybersecurity. You can also choose electives that include advanced courses in electrical engineering, computer science, and programming.     

6. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s B.S, in Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Public

Location: Champaign, IL

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $17,572 to $22,836 for Illinois residents and $36,068 to $43,894 for non-residents

Student-to-faculty ratio: 19:1

Average class size: < 20

Acceptance Rate: 22.3%

Notable alumni: Max Levchin, Marc Andreesen, Jawed Karim

Illinois’ computer engineering degree equips students with fundamental knowledge in the degree: you learn about communication systems and their workings, electromagnetics, circuit design and functioning, and computer science. 

After you build a base in the subject you can choose from a variety of thematic areas to concentrate on, including cyber-physical systems, AI, big data, mobile networking, software and programming languages, and more. 

As a computer engineering student, you can participate in ongoing research that includes communication systems, microelectronics, nanotechnology, and cybersecurity, among other topics.

7. University of Michigan’s B.S. in Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Public

Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $8,780 for Michigan residents and $27,663 for non-residents

Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1

Average class size: 20-30

Acceptance Rate: 20%

Notable alumni: Larry Page, Tony Fadell, Meera Sampath, Thomas Knoll

Michigan’s degree in computer engineering focuses on microprocessors. Here, students learn how to design hardware and software systems, and design and build microprocessors and hardware systems that include microprocessors. Many Michigan graduates go on to work at companies that embed computers in their products (automobiles, consumer appliances, airplanes, medical devices, etc.).

Additionally, as an undergraduate student at Michigan, you could benefit from their Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS) program and complete a Master's degree within five/five-and-a-half years.   

8. Cornell University’s B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Private

Location: Ithaca, NY

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $65,204

Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1

Average class size: 30+

Acceptance Rate: 5.1%

Notable alumni: Edward Bausch, Lowell McAdams, Alonzo G. Decker Jr

Cornell says its electrical and computer engineering degree is among the most intensive and intellectually challenging programs it offers. During the program, you will work both individually and complete multiple team-based projects. The program covers digital and computer systems, embedded processors, digital signaling, solid-state electronics, circuit design and manufacturing, and applications in biomedical systems. 

9. Princeton University’s B.S. in Engineering

Private or Public: Private

Location: Princeton, NJ

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $62,400

Student-to-faculty ratio: 4.4:1

Average class size: 15

Acceptance Rate: 4%

Notable alumni: Jeff Bezos, Alan Turing, Terence Tao

Princeton’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers students a degree in engineering with a concentration in data and information, security and privacy, computer systems, quantum computing, and more. 

As an undergraduate student, you can enroll in both independent and group projects. Students in their junior year participate in Car Lab, where teams showcase autonomous vehicles they’ve built. Seniors must undertake an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member.

10. Purdue University’s B.S. in Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Public

Location: West Lafayette, IN

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $6,021 for Indiana residents and $15,422 for non-residents. International students pay $16,577

Student-to-faculty ratio: 22.8:1

Average class size: 45

Acceptance Rate: 37%

Notable alumni: Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, C.N.R. Rao

Purdue’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers distinct degrees in each of the two disciplines, with each sharing components of the other. As a computer engineering student, you must take core courses in electrical engineering and you can opt for more advanced courses in security, AI, computer graphics, networks, operating systems, and compilers. Purdue is also home to nanoHUB, a software aiming to make online simulation available to the nanoscience community worldwide. 

As a Purdue computer engineering student, you can apply for their 4+1 BS/MS  program and obtain your Master’s degree in as few as five years.

11. University of California - San Diego’s B.S. in Computer Engineering

Private or Public: Public

Location: La Jolla, CA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $16,827 for California residents. Non-residents pay a supplemental tuition fee of $29,754

Student-to-faculty ratio: 26:1

Average class size: < 20

Acceptance Rate: 24%

Notable alumni: Craig Venter, Kathleen Rubins, Maria Goeppert Mayer

UC San Diego’s computer engineering program gives students a strong foundation in physics, math, computer science, and hardware organization. Students can also choose electives that include data science, cognitive science, and linguistics. 

Students who meet the grade requirements can opt for the Computer Science and Engineering Honors program where they work on a research project under the guidance of a faculty member.

12. University of Pennsylvania’s Computer Engineering Major

Private or Public: Private

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Annual Tuition Cost of Attendance: $66,104

Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1

Average class size: 30

Acceptance Rate: 10%

Notable alumni: Zach Kirkhorn, Leonard Bosack, Ashutosh Kotwal

You can major in computer engineering if you pursue a B.S. in Engineering at UPenn. During the program, you will learn how to design and build computer systems and the curriculum includes courses in security and robotics. The major includes multiple hands-on projects that will see you designing, constructing, and testing various hardware and software systems. 

You can complement your major with a minor in different subjects, including chemical and biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and more.

If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!

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