by our College Data Analytics TeamDoes math and science come easily to you? Do you love figuring out the science behind cars, robots, airplanes, and bridges? Engineering is not just about being good at math, rather it appeals to the person who loves to understand the process of how things work, how structures are built, and the math that it takes to design new buildings, products and systems. This major allows you to learn how things actually run and work. It teaches you to create and build things that we need. This includes items such as bridges, but also can get as technical as robots that are small enough to fit into the human body.
Courses will vary depending on the institution you attend, but some of the basics include: chemistry, engineering, economics and ethics for engineers, engineering law, geology, geophysics, and introductions to computer programming, numerical methods, physics, and some business courses.
You may also choose to major in pre-engineering which prepares you to transfer into a four year program in any of the numerous fields in engineering.
In 2020-2021, general engineering was the 79th most popular major nationwide with 11,796 degrees awarded. This 129 less than the prior year, a decrease of 1.1%.
Our 2023 Best General Engineering Schools ranking analyzes 158 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for general engineering students. Explore this or one of our many other custom engineering rankings further below.
Engineers use math and science concepts to analyze and solve practical problems. These problems will be as vast as oil-drilling techniques, to MP3 players and everything in-between. This means you should have some natural ability in both math and science. Algorithms will become part of your life. You should be willing to work hard to figure out complex problems. Students will need to be dedicated and determined, and learn to relish the joy of discovering something new or making a breakthrough on a problem.
Most engineers work in teams to complete projects. You will find it necessary to acquire good communication and collaborative skills. Successful Students will listen to recommendations from classmates and teachers, while pulling their own weight in completing group-work. For many upper level classes you will get to pick your teams to design and build your project. It is important to pick classmates who you can work well with in order to accomplish the task at hand. Strong speaking skills will come in handy when giving presentations on your findings.
As a general engineer major, you will learn how to gather and interpret data. Challenging math and science courses will be present in every semester of college. Many colleges require a certain grade point average in order to stay in the program. This is a major for people who are innovative, creative, flexible, and focused.
Many schools will require you to obtain some sort of internship in engineering either over the summer or during the semester.
general engineering degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. In addition to these basic general engineering program qualifications, to serve in some engineering careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are many different engineering degree levels. You can get anything from a in general engineering to the highest engineering degree, a . The time it takes to complete a engineering degree varies depending on the program.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to engineering, with approximately 36.0% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for engineering workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 43.9% |
| Master’s Degree | 21.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 13.0% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 8.7% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 3.5% |
About 51.0% of workers in careers related to engineering obtain at least master's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in general engineering have received.
This of course varies depending on which engineering career you choose.
As a general engineer, you will study many different fields of engineering briefly. Some choose to get a master's degree in a more specialized field. However, you may get a job working with other engineers on a team to create a product or even to help market that particular product. You are also well prepared to work in a non-engineering field like law.
Rate of pay and growth in the career field vary greatly depending on what field of Engineering you choose to specialize in.
Want a job when you graduate with your engineering degree? General Engineering careers are expected to grow 7.1% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general engineering.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 190,000 | 5.5% |
| Engineers | 141,000 | 6.4% |
| Engineering Professors | 54,600 | 14.7% |
Recently graduated general engineering students earned an average of $68,724 in 2019-2020. Earnings can range from as low as $22,483 to as high as $116,282. As you might expect, salaries for engineering graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for general engineering graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers engineering grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,970 |
| Engineering Professors | $113,680 |
| Engineers | $99,410 |
With over 937 different engineering degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased engineering school rankings to help you with this.
General Engineering is one of 40 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Engineering | 9,018 |
| Pre-Engineering | 2,437 |
| Applied Engineering | 341 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
