Engineering, General Degree
Students study the broad foundations of engineering, including physics, mathematics, materials science, and design principles before specializing in a particular discipline. Graduates typically pursue careers across multiple engineering fields or in roles that require broad technical knowledge, such as engineering management, consulting, and project coordination. Engineering is consistently among the highest-paying bachelor's degree fields.
What Engineering, General Graduates Do
Your general engineering degree prepares you to be a versatile problem-solver on projects that cross traditional disciplines. Initially, you’ll work on teams tackling complex systems, perhaps designing an automated warehouse's logistics or developing a new biomedical device that integrates mechanical and electronic components. Your job is to connect the dots that specialists might miss.
With experience, you can progress into a management role, trading hands-on design work for leading teams, managing multi-million dollar budgets, and making the final call on project specifications. This is a common and lucrative path. Alternatively, you could pursue a graduate degree to enter postsecondary teaching, a path with strong growth where you’ll mentor the next generation of engineers and conduct research.
AI will be a significant partner in your career. Expect it to automate routine tasks like running simulations and generating initial drafts, changing the day-to-day nature of your work. Your value will shift from performing these tasks to defining the core problem, validating AI's output, and applying human judgment to complex, real-world systems. Adaptability is essential.
Common Career Paths
Where Engineering, General graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 27,900 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% | |
| Engineers, all other | 9,300 | +2.1% | 46% | |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 4,100 | +8.1% | 50% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Engineering, General
Top 20 of 47 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA |
72 70–73 |
$82,956/yr | 19.5x |
| 2 | McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA |
72 70–73 |
$75,566/yr | 28.4x |
| 3 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC |
71 69–72 |
$73,410/yr | 29.7x |
| 4 | University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN |
70 67–71 |
$74,976/yr | 20.5x |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ |
70 68–71 |
$74,328/yr | 19.4x |
| 6 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC |
69 67–70 |
$65,758/yr | 28.1x |
| 7 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI |
68 65–69 |
$75,058/yr | 14.1x |
| 8 | Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN |
68 66–69 |
$68,044/yr | 20.4x |
| 9 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA |
67 65–68 |
$71,176/yr | 15.2x |
| 10 | Marshall University Huntington, WV |
67 65–68 |
$60,254/yr | 22.0x |
| 11 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY |
67 65–68 |
$55,437/yr | 21.7x |
| 12 | The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN |
66 64–67 |
$63,746/yr | 18.0x |
| 13 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY |
64 63–65 |
$48,898/yr | 26.0x |
| 14 | Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, MA |
63 60–64 |
$109,455/yr | 4.0x |
| 15 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA |
62 59–63 |
$92,491/yr | 3.7x |
| 16 | Fort Lewis College Durango, CO |
62 60–63 |
$50,985/yr | 18.2x |
| 17 | Brown University Providence, RI |
60 58–61 |
$86,416/yr | 3.3x |
| 18 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore Princess Anne, MD |
59 57–60 |
$73,839/yr | 19.7x |
| 19 | Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX |
58 56–59 |
$73,774/yr | 3.5x |
| 20 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC |
58 56–59 |
$71,769/yr | 19.2x |
Highest Earning Engineering, General Programs
Schools where Engineering, General graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | $109,455/yr | 63 |
| Harvey Mudd College | $92,491/yr | 62 |
| Brown University | $86,416/yr | 60 |
| University of California-Davis | $82,956/yr | 72 |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | $78,211/yr | 49 |
| Lafayette College | $76,507/yr | 46 |
| McNeese State University | $75,566/yr | 72 |
| Michigan State University | $75,058/yr | 68 |
| University of Southern Indiana | $74,976/yr | 70 |
| Wilkes University | $74,654/yr | 48 |
Best ROI for Engineering, General
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Engineering, General.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina University | 33.3x | $62,244/yr | 58 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | 29.7x | $73,410/yr | 71 |
| McNeese State University | 28.4x | $75,566/yr | 72 |
| East Carolina University | 28.1x | $65,758/yr | 69 |
| College of Staten Island CUNY | 26.0x | $48,898/yr | 64 |
| Marshall University | 22.0x | $60,254/yr | 67 |
| Stony Brook University | 21.7x | $55,437/yr | 67 |
| University of Southern Indiana | 20.5x | $74,976/yr | 70 |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato | 20.4x | $68,044/yr | 68 |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 19.7x | $73,839/yr | 59 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Engineering, General offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.