Best Industrial Engineering Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the South
Regional list from Industrial Engineering Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 29 Industrial Engineering programs in the South by median earnings of Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus leads the list with median earnings of $128,003 four years after completing.
Across the 29 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $128,003 at the top to $81,416 at the bottom, with a median of $95,153.
Public institutions dominate the list, accounting for 28 of the 29 programs, while 1 is private. Lamar University reports the lowest average net price at $9,366.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $128,003 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus reports $128,003 in median earnings for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 14%. | |||||
| 2 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $116,641 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 2nd on this list, with median federal debt of $22,625 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $107,093 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville posts median earnings of $107,093 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $18,976. | |||||
| 4 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $104,538 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| University of Louisville ranks 4th on this list and sits at 207th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $100,172 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh reports $100,172 in median earnings for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 102 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $99,441 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
| Auburn University admits 46% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $23,250 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $99,180 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
| West Virginia University posts median earnings of $99,180 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $15,634. | |||||
| 8 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $99,068 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
| University of Miami, a private nonprofit university in Coral Gables, reports median federal debt of $15,110 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR | $98,765 | $18,209 | $14,319 | 74.3% |
| An admission rate of 74% and median earnings of $98,765 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing accompany University of Arkansas's 9th position on this list. | |||||
| 10 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $98,394 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus posts median earnings of $98,394 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 54 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 11 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $98,266 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University reports median federal debt of $28,500 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed, and sits at 86th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 12 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $97,788 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington posts median earnings of $97,788 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $13,951. | |||||
| 13 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $96,504 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University reports median earnings of $96,504 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $11,297. | |||||
| 14 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $95,918 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 14th on this list and posts an admission rate of 57%. | |||||
| 15 | University of Alabama in Huntsville · Huntsville, AL | $95,153 | $18,796 | $16,192 | 68.6% |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville shows median federal debt of $27,997 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $95,153 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $94,814 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| An Azimuth composite rank of 13th among nonprofit four-year institutions accompanies University of Houston's 16th position on this page. | |||||
| 17 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA | $94,748 | $19,151 | $13,056 | 73.3% |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College admits 73% of applicants and reports median earnings of $94,748 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · Stillwater, OK | $94,692 | $17,447 | $12,243 | 75.0% |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus carries an average net price of $17,447 and a median of $94,692 in earnings for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | North Carolina A & T State University · Greensboro, NC | $93,183 | $10,846 | $8,223 | 49.9% |
| North Carolina A & T State University ranks 19th on this list, with an average net price of $8,223 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 20 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $92,491 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University reports median earnings of $92,491 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 38%. | |||||
| 21 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $92,332 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University shows median federal debt of $27,000 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed and an Azimuth composite rank of 299th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 22 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $91,806 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
| Lamar University posts an average net price of $9,366 and median earnings of $91,806 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $91,630 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| University of Central Florida ranks 23rd on this list and reports an average net price of $5,816 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 24 | East Texas A&M University · Commerce, TX | $91,614 | $11,841 | $9,709 | 92.2% |
| East Texas A&M University carries median federal debt of $20,500 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, with median earnings of $91,614 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $90,729 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Texas State University reports median earnings of $90,729 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,805. | |||||
| 26 | University of South Florida · Tampa, FL | $90,040 | $9,812 | $4,122 | 43.2% |
| University of South Florida admits 43% of applicants and shows a median federal debt of $20,521 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | Louisiana Tech University · Ruston, LA | $88,619 | $11,864 | $7,676 | 86.4% |
| Louisiana Tech University ranks 27th on this list, with median earnings of $88,619 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | The University of Texas at El Paso · El Paso, TX | $82,391 | $9,403 | $7,863 | 99.9% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso posts an admission rate of 100% and an average net price of $7,863 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | Morgan State University · Baltimore, MD | $81,416 | $14,985 | $9,585 | 82.2% |
| Morgan State University ranks 148th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Industrial Engineering graduates earned a median of $81,416 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 29 schools with a published figure. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus leads the list at $128,003, and the gap to second-ranked Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is $11,362.
Job market context in the South
Industrial Engineering graduates in the South enter occupations such as Industrial Engineers. Across those occupations in the South, the median annual wage is $102,539, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $83,615. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 11.5% higher, with about 848 openings a year for every hundred graduates, 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, not the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.