Best Engineering Colleges in Massachusetts (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 15 schools in Massachusetts for Engineering by median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. Across the 10 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $125,016 at Massachusetts Maritime Academy to $90,122, with a median of $98,864.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology tops the list, though its earnings are not separately reported.
The list includes 5 public and 10 private nonprofit institutions. University of Massachusetts-Lowell posts the lowest average net price at $17,163, and Harvard University ranks 32nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Engineering Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA | No published median | $20,111 | -$2,533* | 4.6% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology admits 5% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 96%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (142 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (73 graduates), Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering (59 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($161,118), Mechanical Engineering ($131,967), Chemical Engineering ($122,093) | |||||
| 2 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Buzzards Bay, MA | $125,016 | $21,582 | $8,757 | 94.7% |
| A public institution in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Maritime Academy reports $125,016 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (59 graduates), Engineering, General (51 graduates), Energy Systems Engineering (16 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering ($125,016) | |||||
| 3 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $111,345 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University carries an average net price of $30,915 alongside a six-year completion rate of 91%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (275 graduates), Engineering, Other (162 graduates), Computer Engineering (114 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($135,416), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($118,150), Industrial Engineering ($111,430) | |||||
| 4 | Boston University · Boston, MA | $107,854 | $24,402 | $9,500 | 11.1% |
| Boston University reports $107,854 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and admits 11% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (149 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (126 graduates), Computer Engineering (122 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($135,394), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($99,024), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($98,953) | |||||
| 5 | Franklin W Olin College of Engineering · Needham, MA | No published median | $25,171 | Not reported | 25.2% |
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering ranks 202nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and has a six-year completion rate of 96%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering, General (38 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (19 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (15 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Engineering, General ($135,136) | |||||
| 6 | University of Massachusetts-Boston · Boston, MA | $100,902 | $17,707 | $14,070 | 83.8% |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston posts an average net price of $17,707 and reports $100,902 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (30 graduates), Computer Engineering (8 graduates) | |||||
| 7 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Worcester, MA | $99,567 | $43,071 | $24,018 | 60.2% |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute reports $99,567 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $43,071. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (274 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (132 graduates), Chemical Engineering (92 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($109,386), Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering ($105,171), Chemical Engineering ($100,199) | |||||
| 8 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $98,160 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst admits 60% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 83%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (147 graduates), Civil Engineering (79 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (65 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($113,083), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($101,091), Chemical Engineering ($97,990) | |||||
| 9 | Wentworth Institute of Technology · Boston, MA | $97,331 | $34,170 | $27,018 | 91.2% |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology reports $97,331 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $27,018 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (109 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (45 graduates), Civil Engineering (44 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electromechanical Engineering ($100,012), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($99,617), Mechanical Engineering ($97,124) | |||||
| 10 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $95,734 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell ranks 142nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $17,163. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (166 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (106 graduates), Computer Engineering (66 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($101,054), Polymer/Plastics Engineering ($100,428), Chemical Engineering ($94,972) | |||||
| 11 | Tufts University · Medford, MA | No published median | $39,998 | $11,284 | 11.5% |
| Tufts University admits 11% of applicants and carries an average net price of $11,284 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (66 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (49 graduates), Chemical Engineering (26 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Mechanical Engineering ($101,196) | |||||
| 12 | Western New England University · Springfield, MA | $91,326 | $27,290 | $20,726 | 83.5% |
| Western New England University reports $91,326 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 64%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (42 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (28 graduates), Civil Engineering (18 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth · North Dartmouth, MA | $90,122 | $20,927 | $15,976 | 90.6% |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth reports $90,122 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $20,927. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (46 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (37 graduates), Civil Engineering (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($94,683), Mechanical Engineering ($89,310), Civil Engineering ($79,051) | |||||
| 14 | Harvard University · Cambridge, MA | No published median | $19,066 | $8,697 | 3.7% |
| Harvard University, a private nonprofit university in Cambridge, admits 4% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 98%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering Science (45 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (18 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (8 graduates) | |||||
| 15 | Merrimack College · North Andover, MA | No published median | $37,927 | $31,710 | 70.0% |
| Merrimack College ranks 15th on this list and carries an average net price of $31,710 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Civil Engineering (23 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (20 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (16 graduates) | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Engineering earnings cohort in Massachusetts appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after graduating. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 10 schools with a published figure. The spread from top to bottom is $34,894, with Massachusetts Maritime Academy reporting $125,016 and the lowest listed median at $90,122.
Job market context in Massachusetts
Engineering graduates in Massachusetts enter a labor market linked to occupations such as Industrial Engineers, Civil Engineers, and Mechanical Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $135,904, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $107,460. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.1% higher, with 8,910 projected openings a year, or about 181 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which reflect individual program outcomes rather than the broader occupational market.
Related rankings
- Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
- Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- Best Engineering Colleges in Maryland
- Best Engineering Colleges in Texas
- Best Engineering Colleges in California
- Best Engineering Colleges in Michigan
- Engineering Colleges in Massachusetts for Social Mobility