Best Industrial Engineering Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)
These are the top schools offering Industrial Engineering, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Industrial Engineering graduate earns $73,874/yr across 93 schools.
What do Industrial Engineering graduates do? See career paths and salaries →Why a Maritime School Tops the Industrial Engineering List
SUNY Maritime's #1 rank isn't an anomaly; it reveals a crucial truth about industrial engineering. The program funnels graduates directly into the high-stakes, high-paying world of global logistics and supply chain management, where optimizing the flow of goods is a billion-dollar problem. Its location in a major port city and its regimented, hands-on training produce graduates perfectly suited for an industry that values discipline and real-world results, commanding top-tier salaries ($91,470/yr) from day one.
The Hidden Value Play: Why NC A&T Outranks the Big Names
Seeing North Carolina A&T State University at #4—ahead of many famous engineering schools—isn't a fluke; it's a lesson in modern corporate recruiting. As the nation's largest HBCU with a powerhouse engineering reputation, A&T has become a primary destination for Fortune 500 companies actively seeking to hire diverse talent. This intense recruiting pipeline, combined with affordable tuition, creates an elite 33.1x ROI that few other schools can match.
The Public School Lock on Value
The top 20 is exclusively composed of public universities, and for good reason. These institutions were often built to provide high-quality, practical education that serves state and national industries. They deliver a top-tier engineering education at a fraction of the cost of elite private schools, creating an unbeatable formula for return on investment. For industrial engineering, paying a premium for a private degree rarely makes financial sense when public options deliver such strong outcomes with far less debt.
AI Won't Steal Your Job, It Will Change Your Job Description
The ~50% AI exposure score for this field doesn't signal obsolescence; it signals a shift in skills. AI will automate the grunt work of data analysis and running simulations, but it can't walk a factory floor or persuade a skeptical union foreman to change a 20-year-old process. Your future value won't be in running the numbers, but in framing the right problems for AI, validating its solutions in the messy real world, and managing the complex human side of implementing change.
Leading the field for Industrial Engineering
The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 93 programs below.
All Industrial Engineering Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, NY · Public
|
78
75–78
|
$91,470/yr | 35.1x |
| 2 |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
|
77
74–78
|
$87,226/yr | 26.3x |
| 3 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · Public
|
77
74–77
|
$87,826/yr | 24.2x |
| 4 |
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC · Public
|
76
73–76
|
$83,427/yr | 33.1x |
| 5 |
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public
|
75
73–76
|
$75,968/yr | 26.8x |
| 6 |
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public
|
75
73–76
|
$81,055/yr | 26.1x |
| 7 |
University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public
|
75
72–75
|
$76,147/yr | 24.9x |
| 8 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
|
75
73–76
|
$80,435/yr | 23.5x |
| 9 |
Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public
|
75
73–76
|
$81,379/yr | 24.1x |
| 10 |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
|
74
72–75
|
$75,110/yr | 30.9x |
| 11 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
|
74
72–75
|
$80,876/yr | 19.5x |
| 12 |
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
|
74
72–75
|
$72,397/yr | 25.9x |
| 13 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
|
74
72–74
|
$75,473/yr | 20.6x |
| 14 |
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV · Public
|
74
72–74
|
$75,606/yr | 23.6x |
| 15 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public
|
73
71–74
|
$77,850/yr | 18.7x |
| 16 |
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · Public
|
73
71–74
|
$69,672/yr | 33.9x |
| 17 |
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · Public
|
73
71–74
|
$75,699/yr | 20.5x |
| 18 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
|
73
70–74
|
$86,476/yr | 14.9x |
| 19 |
Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH · Public
|
73
71–73
|
$70,199/yr | 34.1x |
| 20 |
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH · Public
|
73
71–73
|
$70,199/yr | 34.1x |
| 21 |
Ohio University-Southern Campus
Ironton, OH · Public
|
73
71–73
|
$70,199/yr | 34.1x |
| 22 |
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
Lancaster, OH · Public
|
73
71–73
|
$70,199/yr | 34.1x |
| 23 |
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus
Zanesville, OH · Public
|
73
71–73
|
$70,199/yr | 34.1x |
| 24 |
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public
|
73
71–74
|
$74,529/yr | 18.8x |
| 25 |
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX · Public
|
73
71–74
|
$76,390/yr | 19.7x |
| 26 |
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · Public
|
73
71–74
|
$71,545/yr | 21.0x |
| 27 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
|
73
70–74
|
$82,437/yr | 15.8x |
| 28 |
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Platteville, WI · Public
|
73
70–73
|
$76,952/yr | 23.6x |
| 29 |
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Fort Wayne, IN · Private nonprofit
|
73
71–74
|
$77,456/yr | 21.2x |
| 30 |
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · Public
|
72
70–72
|
$71,063/yr | 18.2x |
| 31 |
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · Public
|
72
71–73
|
$70,194/yr | 31.8x |
| 32 |
Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
|
72
70–73
|
$74,310/yr | 20.0x |
| 33 |
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS · Public
|
72
70–73
|
$70,703/yr | 21.9x |
| 34 |
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO · Public
|
72
70–73
|
$79,894/yr | 16.1x |
| 35 |
Binghamton University
Vestal, NY · Public
|
72
70–73
|
$70,943/yr | 21.1x |
| 36 |
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR · Public
|
72
69–72
|
$78,425/yr | 16.2x |
| 37 |
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Bend, OR · Public
|
72
70–73
|
$78,425/yr | 17.5x |
| 38 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
|
71
69–72
|
$78,313/yr | 14.3x |
| 39 |
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY · Public
|
71
69–72
|
$63,476/yr | 20.8x |
| 40 |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Public
|
71
69–72
|
$68,673/yr | 20.6x |
| 41 |
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · Public
|
70
68–71
|
$72,112/yr | 16.5x |
| 42 |
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, ND · Public
|
70
69–71
|
$68,873/yr | 18.7x |
| 43 |
Clemson University
Clemson, SC · Public
|
70
68–71
|
$74,709/yr | 14.5x |
| 44 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
|
69
67–70
|
$73,777/yr | 13.2x |
| 45 |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
|
69
67–70
|
$78,501/yr | 12.5x |
| 46 |
Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH · Public
|
69
67–69
|
$70,199/yr | 14.8x |
| 47 |
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD · Public
|
69
67–70
|
$70,216/yr | 17.8x |
| 48 |
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public
|
69
67–70
|
$73,822/yr | 14.7x |
| 49 |
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Public
|
69
68–70
|
$61,718/yr | 18.4x |
| 50 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Public
|
68
66–69
|
$76,707/yr | 10.9x |
| 51 |
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI · Public
|
67
65–68
|
$74,670/yr | 12.4x |
| 52 |
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · Public
|
66
65–67
|
$57,281/yr | 14.5x |
| 53 |
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ · Public
|
66
64–67
|
$71,329/yr | 11.1x |
| 54 |
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit
|
65
62–66
|
$87,807/yr | 4.0x |
| 55 |
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit
|
65
62–66
|
$89,811/yr | 4.2x |
| 56 |
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
|
64
61–64
|
$76,426/yr | 32.8x |
| 57 |
Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH · Public
|
64
62–65
|
$56,274/yr | 13.9x |
| 58 |
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR · Public
|
64
64–64
|
$45,322/yr | 33.9x |
| 59 |
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit
|
63
61–64
|
$81,142/yr | 3.9x |
| 60 |
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX · Public
|
63
63–64
|
$45,467/yr | 19.8x |
| 61 |
Indiana Institute of Technology
Fort Wayne, IN · Private nonprofit
|
62
60–63
|
$77,456/yr | 6.2x |
| 62 |
Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD · Public
|
62
60–63
|
$74,047/yr | 21.8x |
| 63 |
Kettering University
Flint, MI · Private nonprofit
|
62
59–63
|
$85,105/yr | 4.1x |
| 64 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Private nonprofit
|
62
60–63
|
$74,787/yr | 3.8x |
| 65 |
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public
|
61
59–62
|
$77,724/yr | 16.8x |
| 66 |
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
|
61
59–62
|
$77,066/yr | 3.4x |
| 67 |
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit
|
61
58–61
|
$72,764/yr | 3.6x |
| 68 |
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL · Public
|
60
58–61
|
$76,690/yr | 15.3x |
| 69 |
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT · Public
|
60
58–60
|
$64,082/yr | 18.8x |
| 70 |
Bradley University
Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit
|
59
57–59
|
$68,166/yr | 4.5x |
| 71 |
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH · Public
|
59
57–59
|
$69,202/yr | 15.0x |
| 72 |
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK · Public
|
59
57–60
|
$69,486/yr | 16.0x |
| 73 |
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit
|
59
57–59
|
$71,112/yr | 3.7x |
| 74 |
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL · Public
|
58
56–59
|
$73,092/yr | 13.1x |
| 75 |
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY · Public
|
58
56–59
|
$74,163/yr | 13.5x |
| 76 |
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA · Public
|
58
56–59
|
$65,739/yr | 15.2x |
| 77 |
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI · Public
|
58
56–58
|
$77,169/yr | 12.1x |
| 78 |
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public
|
58
56–59
|
$77,815/yr | 12.6x |
| 79 |
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN · Public
|
58
56–59
|
$77,781/yr | 12.6x |
| 80 |
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX · Public
|
58
57–59
|
$62,053/yr | 16.9x |
| 81 |
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
|
57
55–58
|
$72,440/yr | 12.3x |
| 82 |
Texas A & M University-Commerce
Commerce, TX · Public
|
57
56–58
|
$63,269/yr | 14.8x |
| 83 |
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public
|
56
55–57
|
$65,285/yr | 12.7x |
| 84 |
University of South Carolina Aiken
Aiken, SC · Public
|
56
54–56
|
$60,091/yr | 13.0x |
| 85 |
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public
|
56
54–57
|
$77,692/yr | 10.1x |
| 86 |
University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public
|
56
54–57
|
$77,692/yr | 10.1x |
| 87 |
University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public
|
56
54–57
|
$77,692/yr | 10.1x |
| 88 |
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public
|
56
54–57
|
$77,692/yr | 10.1x |
| 89 |
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · Public
|
55
52–55
|
$77,692/yr | 8.5x |
| 90 |
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · Private nonprofit
|
55
53–56
|
$71,089/yr | 2.6x |
| 91 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public
|
54
52–54
|
$70,554/yr | 9.2x |
| 92 |
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit
|
50
48–51
|
$80,644/yr | 2.6x |
| 93 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit
|
49
47–50
|
$77,994/yr | 2.3x |
Frequently asked
What is the best school for Industrial Engineering?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, SUNY Maritime College ranks #1 for Industrial Engineering with a score of 78/100 and graduate earnings of $91,470/yr.
How much do Industrial Engineering graduates earn?
Across 93 schools, Industrial Engineering graduates earn an average of $73,874/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $91,470/yr.
Is Industrial Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Industrial Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 50%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.