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Best Schools for Systems Engineering in 2026

11 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Systems Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Systems Engineering graduate earns $75,193/yr across 11 schools.

Programs Ranked
11
Avg Earnings
$75,193/yr
Avg DW Score
64/100
AI Risk
Very High
56% task exposure

All Systems Engineering Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public 		77
73–78 		$85,698/yr 41.3x
2 George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public 		76
72–77 		$84,942/yr 20.9x
3 University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA · Public 		74
70–75 		$91,178/yr 14.6x
4 University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public 		73
69–75 		$76,660/yr 18.1x
5 University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Public 		73
69–74 		$68,034/yr 29.9x
6 Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA · Public 		62
58–63 		$79,942/yr 17.5x
7 Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA · Public 		61
57–62 		$62,015/yr 25.8x
8 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public 		59
54–60 		$81,785/yr 11.8x
9 Texas A & M International University
Laredo, TX · Public 		54
51–55 		$49,755/yr 14.9x
10 Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit 		50
46–52 		$83,874/yr 2.3x
11 Otterbein University
Westerville, OH · Private nonprofit 		49
45–50 		$63,243/yr 3.5x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Systems Engineering?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, University of Florida ranks #1 for Systems Engineering with a score of 77/100 and graduate earnings of $85,698/yr.
How much do Systems Engineering graduates earn?
Across 11 schools, Systems Engineering graduates earn an average of $75,193/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $91,178/yr.
Is Systems Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Systems Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 56%, rated "Very High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.