Best Graduate Engineering Schools in the World

Engineering has never been an easy feat and so it is assumed that it is best left for the best minds. It involves the application of clear cutting-edge scientific principles in the production of machines and equipment necessary for human use and benefit.

To build a career in engineering, it is best to find a college where one will not just get the certification for having studied engineering but also the in-depth practical knowledge of all there is to know about ones chosen field of study.

There are about 21 schools listed below for engineering professionals who might want to take further steps in deepening their knowledge of engineering in graduate school, however, for the purpose of this article, we shall discuss the first thirteen.

[lwptoc title=”Contents”]

What is a Graduate School?

A graduate school is any school that awards degrees higher than undergraduate degrees with a requirement that applicants must have an undergraduate degree before they are accepted.

Masters and Ph.D. degrees are types of postgraduate degrees in the sense that they are higher than an undergraduate degree and students who apply for them are first required to have an undergraduate degree.

So, in essence, a graduate engineering school is a school where you can obtain degrees higher than an undergraduate degree in engineering anywhere in the world.

Which is the Best Graduate Engineering School in the World?

In general ranking, MIT is the best graduate engineering school in the world. Anyway, on another note, for several reasons, it is going to be difficult to say which of the schools is the best graduate engineering school but it is easier to list a number of them that are very good and can feature as the best anywhere at any time.

Below, we’ve made available a list of the graduate engineering universities considered as best among their equals around the entire world.

Best Graduate Engineering Schools in the World

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Stanford University
  • University of California Berkeley.
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • University of Michigan Ann Arbor
  • Purdue University West Lafayette
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • University of California San Diego (Jacobs)
  • University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Texas Austin (Cockrell)
  • Texas A&M University
  • Columbia University (Fu Foundation)
  • Cornell University
  • University of California Los Angeles (Samueli)
  • John Hopkins University (Whiting)
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Northwestern University (McCormick)
  • University of Maryland College Park (Clark)
  • Princeton University

Details of the 13 Best Graduate Engineering Schools in the World

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT is the best graduate engineering school in the world and it has remained the best for quite a long time withstanding the test of time. In all ramifications, MIT stands first in most top university award rankings be several organizations and establishments.

MIT is located in Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge in the United States of America. They have about 2,800 graduate students enrolled in the faculty of engineering. Graduate students are open to 15 places from which they earn their degrees and students are open to full use of about 20 research centers on campus which explore useful topics necessary for effective learning and advancement of the students.

There is also a place for prospective students who are already working in an engineering field but nurturing the mind of switching to another field, this category of students are offered a part-time Career Reengineering Program. They complete a semester-long course; an internship or research project; career and professional development workshops amongst other self-improvement strategies made available to them by the school.

These graduate students are allowed to live on the MIT campus in Cambridge which enables them to get to class in time, apart from those on part-time programs who can live outside the campus.

Applying to MIT cost an application fee of $75 for both residents and international students. The tuition is $53,450 every year. The last Ph.D. student-faculty ratio is 5:5:1 and the school of engineering at MIT has a total of 388 full-time faculty on staff.

Stanford University

A university like Stanford helps students build their engineering abilities and exposure. Stanford is located in Ortega Stanford in the United States, it is ranked exactly the second-best graduate engineering schools in the world While MIT clinches the first position.

To apply to Stanford, it is best to send in an early application in order to stand a good chance, the deadline closes on December 3rd yearly and the application fee at Stanford University is $125 for domestic and international students.

The latest Ph.D. student-faculty ratio is 7:1:1 there are about 278 full-time faculty on staff and a total of 3,444 full-time enrollment. The school ranks between 1-10 in all their engineering majors thus:

  • #3 in Aerospace Engineering/Astronautic Engineering
  • #4 in Biomedical Engineering/Bioengineering
  • #4 in Chemical Engineering
  • #3 in Civil Engineering
  • #2 in Computer Engineering
  • #1 in Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engineering
  • #1 in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
  • #6 in Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems Engineering
  • #4 in Materials Engineering
  • #2 in Mechanical Engineering
  • #3 in Petroleum Engineering

Stanford University encourages research and extensive learning among her students and the workload is made easy for the students to effectively carry without breaking down.

University of California Berkeley

It is located at McLaughlin Hall, Berkeley California. The college of Engineering has an active yearly application deadline of January 6 with prospective students being required to pay an application fee of $120 in the case of US residents and then $140 for international students.

There are about2,337 full-time enrollment and Master’s tuition is $26,544 per year for full-time out-of-state students and $11,442 for per year for full-time in-state students. The college of engineering has 260 full-time faculty on staff.

In earning a Master’s degree at Berkeley, students spend an upward of two years but are also at liberty to choose the accelerated Berkeley Engineering Professional Master’s Program which enables students to graduate in just one year.

Also, all graduate students are required to complete two minors which includes fields outside of the College of Engineering. Graduate students are free to live on campus and the more than 40 research centers at Berkeley are open to them so as to get involved. UC Berkeley is not just one of the best graduate engineering schools around but also, all the engineering majors offered at the University rank between 1st to 4th best in the nation.

California Institute of Technology

This is one of the greatest graduate engineering schools in the world presently. CALTECH is a reputable university known for its cultural excellence.

The college of engineering and applied sciences is very powerful amongst many other colleges in the school.

Their application deadline is always on or around December 15 yearly and the California Institute of Technology application fee is $100 for both US and international residents.

Currently, there are five hundred and thirty-six enrollments in the college of engineering and students can earn their Master’s degree in a year or two depending on the special course chosen.

The research centers are open to students use, like; the center for science and engineering of materials, the center for neuromorphic systems engineering and several other useful research centers in the school.

Graduate students can live in university-owned housing or off-campus residence as they prefer.
The university hosts Seminar Day and Alumni college every year which gives alumni the opportunity to come back to discuss new breakthroughs in research and technological advancement and the opportunity to mingle.

Of all engineering programs offered at CALTECH, there’s not anyone that the school is not ranked amongst the top ten in the world. This is one of the reasons while we decided to add them among the first schools featured on our list of best graduate engineering universities in the world with a gender distribution of enrolled Master’s students at 62.1% male and 37.9% female.

Carnegie Mellon University

According to the recent world university ranking, Carnegie Mellon University is among the best graduate engineering university in the world. Every year, thousands of students apply for a Master’s program in an engineering major at the University but only fewer applications get to be granted.

The application deadline comes every January 31 yearly and the Carnegie Mellon University application fee is $75 for prospective students both in the US and foreign countries.

Currently, there are 4,112 enrollments in the graduate engineering programs in the school. Students are required to pay tuition of $48,500 full-time per year and part-time $2,022 per credit.

Students are Carnegie Mellon are at great advantage to further enrich their engineering degree with the pursuance of research-based courses and degrees. Students are as well open to choose from ten interdisciplinary majors each completed in conjunction with other departments including the Tepper School of Business.

The university also considers students short on time by giving them the opportunity to pursue the accelerated Master’s program in Engineering and Technology innovation management which takes just one year to complete.

Aside from being in the classroom, students get busy in research projects in any of the 30 research centers available on campus.

The Carnegie Mellon University campus is sited in Pittsburgh, PA and graduate students are not given the opportunity to live on campus but can live in the school facilities at Silicon Valley.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

The school is located in Ann Arbor Michigan. It has been rated the fourth-best graduate engineering school in the world in times.

Students who wish to apply for a graduate program in engineering at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor are expected to pay an application fee of $75 if they’re U.S residents and $90 if they’re international students. The school has a rolling application deadline.

Tuition at the University of Michigan is $27,202 for in-state full-time students per year and $51,126 for out-of-state full-time students per year, $1,469 for in-state part-time students per credit, $2,798 for out-of-state part-time students per credit.

There are about 388 full-time faculty on staff in the school of engineering. The school offers prospective graduate students the opportunity to get a feel of the college experience at the annual Engineering graduate symposium held every November and has an engineering graduate curriculum for Master’s, doctoral and interdisciplinary programs.

There are various school-wide events that enable students to relax and bond outside the classroom all the time like the CoE Bowling challenge and different luncheons held at different times throughout the year. These events breathe life into the social atmosphere at University of Michigan.

There is an opportunity for graduate students to get support through the Just ASK (Alumni Sharing Knowledge) programs where alumni volunteer to mentor current students either physically or through any available means.

Graduate students are opportune to live in a designated residential area on the university campus which is also home to faculty members, staff and families. This simple privilege help them to connect with like minds for easier collaboration and growth.

Purdue University West Lafayette

This school has an exquisite engineering program which attracts thousands of applicants yearly. They have a rolling application deadline, and the application fee at Purdue University West Lafayette is $60 for U.S residents and $75 for international students.

Master’s students are required to pay a tuition fee of $10,330 for in-state full-time students per year; $29,132 for out-of-state full-time students per year; $329 for in-state part-time students per credit; $929 for out-of-state part-time students per credit.

Their Ph.D. student-faculty ratio used to be around 5:7:1 and the college of engineering at Purdue University has about 391 full-time faculty on staff.

Tuition for Doctoral students include: $10,330 per year for in-state full-time students and $29,132 per year for out-of-state full-time students; $329 for in-state part-time students per credit; $929 for out-of-state part-time students per credit.

The gender distribution of enrolled Master’s students is 26.8% female and 73.2% male and there are a total of 3,428 full-time Master’s students currently. Students are free to join organizations outside the classroom where they can interact and freely bond.

Research is highly encouraged among students. The school ranks 7th in the list of graduate engineering schools in the world.

Georgia Institute of Technology

The school is located in North avenue Atlanta GA. It offers the students the opportunity to choose from extensive degree options. They have up to 20 areas to specialize in the school of engineering which are even all highly ranked in their specific field ranking globally.

Prospective students at the Georgia Institute of Technology are required to pay an application fee of $75 for residents and $85 for international student. The school has a current full-time enrollment of 4,252 graduate engineering students. Tuition is fulltime: $14,064 per year(in-state); $29,140 per year (out-of-state); part-time: $586 per credit(in-state): and $1,215 per credit(out-of-state).

The Ph.D. student-faculty ratio was 4:4:1 and the Georgia Institute of Technology has 574 fulltime faculty on staff.

Here, students can complete a Master’s or doctorate degree which might be dual programs abroad. An instance is the dual program in Electrical and Computer engineering which requires students to go to the partner university in France, Germany or Korea.

Graduate students can live on-campus or off-campus depending on their choice of residence. Students are as well highly involved in research projects and volunteer work in campus and outside the campus.

The gender distribution of enrolled Master’s students is 26.9% female, 73.1% male. Students still find time to unwind and relax amidst the busy academic schedule. It is ranked 8th on the list of best graduate engineering schools in the world.

University of California San Diego

It is situated around Gilman Drive California. It is the 9th best graduate engineering schools in the world currently. The school is known for diverse research centers focused on advancement in technology and the world at large, it is also highly ranked for its various engineering programs.

The recent full-time enrollment of engineering graduate students is about 3,141. Students who intend to run a Master’s degree at the University of California San Diego are expected to pay an application fee of $140 while submitting their application.

Tuition is full-time: $11,442 per year(in-state); full-time: $26,544 per year(out-of-state); part-time: $5,721 per year (in-state); part-time: $13,272 per year (out-of-state). The Ph.D. student-faculty ratio is 5:8:1 and the reputable school of engineering at the University of California has about 225 full-time faculty on staff.

The many research centers in the school include the center for wireless communications and the centers for energy research which is in affiliation with the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Students are very privileged to be able to participate in paid internships with industry partners during Summer. There are as well several student organizations to get involved in.

The gender distribution at the school is thus: Female- 23.8%, Male- 74.2%, Other – 2%. The school is ranked top in any of their various engineering major whatsoever, particularly their graduate engineering program in Bioengineering.

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

This is the #10 in the list of top-ranked graduate engineering schools in the world. It is located at Green Street, Urbana Illinois in the united states.

The school of engineering has a total of 3,736 graduate students in their different engineering majors. Thousands of applications are sent in every year by both foreign and resident prospective students.

The University of Illinois application fee is $70 for U.S residents and $90 for international students. Tuition is $18,622 per year for full-time in-state students and $35,458 per year for full-time out-of-state students.

The recent Ph.D. student-faculty ratio is 4:5:1 and the Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign has about 453 full-time faculty on staff. The Gender distribution of enrolled Master’s students is thus: Female – 24.3%; Male – 75.6%; Other – 0.1%.

The University professors teach the students so well and grant them the opportunity to learn at their pace and on their school projects.

University of Southern California (Viterbi)

The Erna and Andrew Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California is a prestigious college known for her excellence and levitating color in the world of engineering.

The school of engineering has a yearly application deadline of Jan. 15. Prospective students at the University of Southern California are expected to pay an application fee of $90, this applies to both local and foreign students. The current enrollment is around 4,500 graduate engineering students spread across the diverse engineering majors in the school.

The school utilizes the efficient services of 191 full-time faculty on staff. Student tuition is full-time: $2,075 per credit and part-time: $2,075 per credit. The 2019 Ph.D. student-faculty ratio is 5:5:1 which can be subject to modifications as time goes.

The gender distribution of enrolled Master’s students is: Female – 32.2%; Male – 67.8%. students are encouraged to get a practical understanding of their areas of interest through effective research projects. It is ranked tenth in a tie with two other schools on the best graduate engineering schools in the world.

University of Texas Austin (Cockrell)

Alongside two other schools, it is ranked tenth on the list of best graduate schools in the world. They have a rolling application deadline and the University of Texas Austin application fee is $65 for U.S residents and $90 for international students. Tuition is full-time: $19,320 per year (out-of-state) and $10,554 per year(in-state).

The 2019 Ph.D. student-faculty ratio is 5:1 and the Cockrell School of Engineering has a total of 310 full-time faculty on staff who teaches, assists, supervises and encourages students in harnessing their dreams.

The total number of enrollments currently is 2,076 and the gender distribution of Master’s students is as follows: Female – 23%; Male – 77%. The university is reputable for the constant involvement of students in research projects, innovations and many other self-enhancing activities.

The school is widely recognized for topo ranking in most of their engineering majors and it is even widely recognized currently as ranking the best graduate Petroleum engineering university all over the world.

Texas A&M University College Station

As one of the best graduate engineering schools worldwide, the university grants students the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of disciplines in the engineering profession. It is especially ranked high for its involvement in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Petroleum Engineering and Nuclear Engineering with above 3,000 graduate engineering students in their Master’s program.

Texas A&M University has an application deadline of March 1, and the Texas A&M University College Station application fee is $65 for U.S residents, $148 for international students and students are expected to pay tuition of $278 full-time per credit(in-state); $779 full-time per credit(out-of-state); $278 part-time per credit(in-state); $779 part-time per credit(out-of-state).

The 2019 student-faculty ratio is 3:8:1 and the school uses the services of 427 full-time faculty on staff.

Students have three types of assistantships through which they can apply for financial aid through graduate school: teaching research, and non-teaching research, students can also apply for university-owned housing, although there may be a waiting list.

Some notable alumni associated with the school of engineering at Texas A&M University include: Steven Swanson, a retired NASA astronaut and many other famous men in the likes of Arthur McFerrin, the founder of chemical processing and manufacturing company.

The school is reputable for its top rank in graduate engineering and it is even ranked as the best in some engineering majors like Petroleum Engineering.

The gender distribution is quite uneven with a percentage of men being 77.5% and that of women being 22.5%. it is the 13th best graduate engineering schools in the world.

Conclusion and Recommendations

While this article features the best graduate engineering schools in the world, we have another article featuring the best undergraduate engineering schools around the world too.

Several of the schools in these categories also featured on our general list of best engineering schools in the world with scholarships.

Engineering is vast anyway, sometimes you may want to know schools that are best in a particular area of engineering and not just the best in engineering generally. To that effect, I am recommending the following articles;

In places like Texas and Canada, we’ve written articles on the best engineering schools in texas with scholarships and the best engineering schools in Canada with scholarships.