Industrial Engineering Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
This page ranks the 83 Industrial Engineering programs in the United States by median earnings of Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. Northwestern University leads the list with median earnings of $138,720 four years after completing, a figure $10,717 ahead of second-ranked Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus.
Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $138,720 to $61,020, with a median of $95,835.
Public institutions account for 71 of the 83 programs, or 86%, while 12 are private nonprofits. Oakland University posts the lowest average net price on the list at $9,120.
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 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $138,720 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $138,720 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 8%. | |||||
| 2 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $128,003 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus reports median earnings of $128,003 four years after completing, and its Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $19,791 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | Lehigh University · Bethlehem, PA | $121,498 | $36,931 | $16,917 | 25.9% |
| A private nonprofit university in Bethlehem, Lehigh University posts median earnings of $121,498 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $117,930 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor admits 16% of applicants and its Industrial Engineering graduates earn a median of $117,930 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $116,641 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 5th on this list, with median earnings of $116,641 four years after completing and an average net price of $24,953. | |||||
| 6 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $112,797 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports median earnings of $112,797 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $16,665. | |||||
| 7 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $112,150 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California sits 7th on this page, with median earnings of $112,150 four years after completing and a median federal debt of $17,704 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $111,672 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| An average net price of $25,097 coincides with median earnings of $111,672 for University of Connecticut's Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $111,430 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University admits 5% of applicants, and its Industrial Engineering graduates earn a median of $111,430 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $110,711 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 10th on this list, with median earnings of $110,711 four years after completing and a median federal debt of $23,481 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $109,575 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| Median earnings of $109,575 four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $14,091 at University of Washington-Seattle Campus. | |||||
| 12 | 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 four years after completing, and its Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $21,500 in federal loans. | |||||
| 13 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $107,031 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $107,031 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 262 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $106,932 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus admits 61% of applicants and posts a median of $21,000 in federal loans among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY | $105,313 | $34,906 | $24,680 | 66.9% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology carries an average net price of $34,906 alongside median earnings of $105,313 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $104,758 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks 16th on this list and shows an average net price of $19,845 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $104,538 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| University of Louisville reports 28 graduates in the earnings cohort and a median of $23,000 in federal loans among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $103,143 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| With an admission rate of 42%, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign places 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $103,143 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | SUNY Maritime College · Throggs Neck, NY | $102,563 | $22,367 | $11,726 | 72.4% |
| SUNY Maritime College admits 72% of applicants and lists an average net price of $22,367. | |||||
| 20 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $102,439 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 20th on this list, with median earnings of $102,439 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $102,222 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University carries an average net price of $4,422 for families earning under $30,000 and reports 28 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 22 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $101,990 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University posts a median of $21,126 in federal loans among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed and ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 23 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $101,653 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University reports median earnings of $101,653 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 77%. | |||||
| 24 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Worcester, MA | $101,554 | $43,071 | $24,018 | 60.2% |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute admits 60% of applicants and shows an average net price of $24,018 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 25 | New Jersey Institute of Technology · Newark, NJ | $101,547 | $16,504 | $10,138 | 65.1% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology reports median earnings of $101,547 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $25,000 among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 83 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or differences in who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Northwestern University and second-ranked Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is $10,717.
Job market context in the United States
Industrial Engineering graduates in the United States enter occupations such as Industrial Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $104,835, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $85,688. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 6.5% higher, with about 1,026 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; the market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed program.
Related rankings
- Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
- Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility