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2025 Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region

78 Colleges in the Southeast Region
39,517 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$76,684 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in engineering is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #7 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 78 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for engineering students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 39,517 degrees in engineering annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Engineering School

Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region The engineering program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Engineering rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for engineering schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Engineering Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Engineering
Bachelor's Degrees in Engineering
Master's Degrees in Engineering
Doctor's Degrees in Engineering

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Engineering in the Southeast Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the engineering degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top Southeast Region Schools in Engineering

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
646 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$89,190 Median Starting Salary

Duke University is a good option for students interested in a degree in engineering. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 646 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the engineering program at Duke University earn $12,506 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in engineering from Duke University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,430 Engineering Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in engineering. Georgia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 3429.9999999999995 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the engineering degree program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus make $7,877 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,111 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$79,500 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in engineering. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 2111 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Engineering degree recipients from Virginia Tech get an earnings boost of around $2,815 over the average income of engineering majors.

More information about a degree in engineering from Virginia Tech

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,151 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$81,239 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in engineering needs to check out University of Florida. UF is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. A Best Colleges rank of #56 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were about 2151 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Those engineering students who get their degree from University of Florida make $4,555 more than the average engineering graduate.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Florida

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
341 Engineering Degrees Awarded
13.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 341 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program report average early career wages of $72,257.

More information about a degree in engineering from Vanderbilt University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,302 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$72,650 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 2302 engineering students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the engineering program earn an average of $72,650 for their early career.

More information about a degree in engineering from North Carolina State University

7
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,474 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$75,979 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were roughly 1474 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Clemson in the most recent data year. After graduating, engineering degree recipients usually make an average of $75,979 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from Clemson University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
761 Engineering Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 761 engineering students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Engineering degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of around $11,963 over the typical income of engineering majors.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Virginia - Main Campus

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Engineering Degrees Awarded
39.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 155 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the engineering program earn an average of $70,561 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

10
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,411 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$74,996 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were roughly 1411 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Auburn in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, engineering degree recipients usually make around $74,996 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from Auburn University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
536 Engineering Degrees Awarded
9.3% Growth in Graduates

Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Daytona Beach. This university ranks 7th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 536 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach in the most recent year we have data available. Those engineering students who get their degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach earn $4,246 more than the standard engineering grad.

More information about a degree in engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
993 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$73,625 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were approximately 993 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UA in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the engineering program earn around $73,625 for their early career.

More information about a degree in engineering from The University of Alabama

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,789 Engineering Degrees Awarded
9.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 1789 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the engineering program earn around $70,184 for their early career.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Central Florida

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
538 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$71,973 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #99 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 538 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients generally earn an average of $71,973 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of South Carolina - Columbia

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
909 Engineering Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Knoxville. This university ranks 2nd out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 909 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program state that they receive average early career earnings of $70,551.

More information about a degree in engineering from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Rest of the Top Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
16 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
17 University of Georgia Athens, GA
18 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
19 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
20 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
21 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
22 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
23 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
24 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
25 Florida International University Miami, FL
26 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL

Best Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best engineering colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 5,076
West Virginia 38 990
Mississippi 38 1,512
South Carolina 38 2,300
Florida 38 8,909
Virginia 38 5,159
Arkansas 38 1,082
Alabama 37 3,827
Kentucky 37 1,332
Georgia 37 5,286
Tennessee 37 2,276
Louisiana 37 1,801

View All Rankings >

Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 8,869
Electrical Engineering 4,942
Civil Engineering 4,410
Computer Engineering 3,378
General Engineering 2,804
Biomedical Engineering 2,743
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 2,488
Industrial Engineering 2,386
Chemical Engineering 2,289
Systems Engineering 871

View All Engineering Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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