Best Electrical Engineering Degree Programs in 2026
In our 2026 ranking, the best electrical engineering degree programs stand out through their required laboratory work, design projects and technical options. Compare 10 bachelor's programs with foundations in circuits, signals and computing, including campus degrees, a degree centered on computing, defined work or research pathways, and a verified online program.
Each review identifies the degree we checked and explains its fit and tradeoffs. Start with the program list, then use our electrical engineering degree guide to compare entry requirements and course sequences.
Electrical Engineering bachelor’s rankings by state+
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Inside this ranking
How we ranked electrical engineering bachelor’s programs
We reviewed 10 named bachelor's programs using their official degree catalogs and school pages. Candidates came from electrical engineering bachelor records in the federal dataset and were checked against the degree currently offered. This is an editorial selection of reviewed schools; it does not claim to measure every electrical engineering program.
Our order prioritizes a broad EE foundation, explicit laboratory and design requirements, and documented options for developing a specialty or gaining experience. Illinois leads for its required laboratory depth; Georgia Tech follows for its combination of experiential pathways; MIT stands out for integrated electrical engineering and computing. Later picks address distinct needs, including co-op, Enterprise design and online study. Placement reflects our judgment under the published review criteria.
Published engineering tuition for students entering Summer 2026 through Spring 2027. The corresponding annual rate is $44,340 for nonresidents and $47,800 for international students. Fees, housing, food and other expenses are additional. Use the entry-cohort rate that applies to you.
Illinois makes laboratory depth an explicit part of its electrical engineering curriculum. The 128-hour BS combines circuits, semiconductor electronics, fields and waves, and computer systems with a substantial technical-elective block. Those electives must include advanced core work and multiple ECE laboratories, including a hardware lab. Students also complete the digital systems laboratory and a senior design requirement. This gives the degree a clear structure for developing practical skills while retaining room to explore electrical engineering specialties. The choice rests on the published undergraduate requirements, rather than the department's research reputation alone.
Where it stands out
Consider Illinois if you want to investigate several areas before committing to one. The elective menu spans power, communications, devices, computing and other applications, while the required core keeps the degree grounded in electrical engineering.
What to weigh
The elective space comes with distribution rules. A collection of interesting courses will not automatically satisfy the advanced-core, laboratory and non-ECE requirements. Plan the sequence with an advisor, particularly when bringing transfer credit or adding a minor.
Tuition for two semesters. Annual tuition is $34,604 for out-of-state students and $35,610 for out-of-country students. Mandatory fees are additional: $1,516 for the domestic categories or $1,716 for the out-of-country category. Housing, meals, materials and personal expenses are separate.
Georgia Tech’s BS connects a broad electrical engineering curriculum with optional work, research and international study. Analysis and design run through the degree and culminate in a major design experience that considers economic and societal issues as well as technical performance. Electrical engineering electives extend from analog electronics and control systems to photonics, energy and telecommunications. The catalog also describes a cooperative education plan with alternating academic and paid work terms, a Research Option, and an International Plan. These are defined undergraduate pathways, rather than a general promise that students can gain experience.
Where it stands out
This is a useful choice if you want to keep several specialties open while building a substantial experience alongside coursework. The ability to combine co-op, research and international designations makes the program particularly interesting for students who plan their degree actively.
What to weigh
Co-op changes the study calendar: work terms alternate with campus terms. Research and international options also require deliberate planning. Treat them as choices to organize with the school, not experiences automatically included with admission.
SB in Electrical Engineering with Computing (Course 6-5)
Cambridge, MA
Study format
On campus
2026–27 tuition
$33,360 per fall or spring term
Cost basis & conditions +
Full regular undergraduate tuition per term, before financial aid. Full tuition in either term covers January Independent Activities Period. Student fees, housing, food and other living expenses are separate.
MIT's current electrical engineering degree is Course 6-5, Electrical Engineering with Computing. The curriculum deliberately connects computation with physical system design. Programming, algorithms, linear algebra and probability support core work in computation structures, circuits and signal processing. The degree chart requires an integrative design lab, project-based laboratory experience and study in two electrical engineering tracks. This is a particularly clear curriculum for students who want to understand the hardware, mathematics and software behind a working system.
Where it stands out
MIT fits students who want substantial computing inside an electrical engineering degree. The published track structure supports depth in more than one EE area, while laboratory and communication requirements make design and explanation part of the academic work.
What to weigh
Computing is a required part of the foundation. A student seeking a degree organized mainly around electric power should compare the available EE tracks carefully. MIT also counts academic work in its own units; these should not be compared directly with semester-credit totals.
The published engineering subtotal for fall and spring at eight or more credits per semester includes base tuition, the engineering differential, and mandatory fitness and activity fees. The nonresident subtotal is $32,844. Housing, food, books and other expenses are additional; part-time and summer assessments follow separate schedules.
Purdue’s named electrical engineering degree includes substantial computing, repeated laboratory work and several senior-design routes. The 2026–27 BSEE requires 124 credits. Electrical Engineering Fundamentals I and II each have a separate lab; Python and advanced C programming sit alongside digital design, signals, probability and electromagnetics. The selective block requires both technical area courses and advanced laboratories. For senior design, students can choose an approved electrical or digital systems project, or a two-course EPICS or VIP sequence. These requirements give the program practical structure alongside its optional concentrations.
Where it stands out
Purdue merits a close look if your interests connect electrical engineering fundamentals to power, control or semiconductor work. Compare the concentration requirements with the technical area courses and laboratories you want to complete. The different senior-design routes add another meaningful choice to the academic plan.
What to weigh
Senior design comes after the required EE core, so delayed prerequisites can affect the final-year schedule. Transfer students must also plan for the ECE credits that must be completed at Purdue. Work from the catalog for your entry year and an advisor-approved remaining-course plan.
Electrical Engineering Fundamentals I and II, with separate laboratory courses
Data Science Using Python and Advanced C Programming
Digital system design, signals and systems, probabilistic methods and Electromagnetics I
18 credits of EE selectives, including at least nine area-selective credits and three advanced-laboratory credits
Areas of focus
Electric Power and Energy Systems
Automatic Control
Microelectronics and Semiconductors
Admission & progression
West Lafayette first-year engineering students enter First-Year Engineering, complete its core and then transition to a specialty such as electrical engineering.
Minimum high school coursework includes four years each of mathematics and English, three years each of laboratory science and social studies, and two years of a world language.
The 2026–27 BSEE requires 32 ECE credits completed at Purdue. Required EE core courses must be completed before senior design.
Design & practical experience
Required Electrical Engineering Fundamentals I Lab and II Lab
At least three credits of advanced laboratories within the EE selective block
Four-credit senior design requirement: Digital Systems Senior Project, Electrical Engineering Senior Design Projects, or an approved two-course EPICS or VIP sequence
Full-time undergraduate tuition for 12–20 units per quarter. This is a quarter rate before aid, not an annual or semester figure. Housing, meals and non-tuition charges are additional; summer enrollment below 12 units and approved special registration statuses use different rates.
Stanford’s electrical engineering curriculum offers flexibility beyond a defined technical core. Students study circuits, signals and systems, digital design and electromagnetics, then build a substantial elective program. The bulletin includes options in physical technology, information systems, hardware and software, with courses reaching into energy, biological applications and other disciplines. Design and writing requirements can be satisfied through several approved course choices. We value that range for students who already have questions they want to investigate and want room to connect electrical engineering with another area, rather than follow a single prescribed specialization.
Where it stands out
Consider Stanford if you are drawn to combinations such as electronics and biology, energy and devices, or hardware and computing. The bulletin shows how an EE foundation can support those interests while retaining the university's broader undergraduate requirements.
What to weigh
Flexibility increases the importance of advising and prerequisite planning. The 180-unit university minimum is different from the units required within the major. Honors research also has its own application and academic requirements; it is not an automatic feature of every student's degree.
Circuits, signals and systems, digital system design and electromagnetics
Mathematics, physical science, computing and Technology in Society
Electives ranging from semiconductor devices and power electronics to bioelectronics
Admission & progression
ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year and transfer applicants.
Self-reported test scores must be confirmed by official reports if you accept admission and enroll; Stanford evaluates the complete application holistically.
Design & practical experience
Design/capstone choices include digital systems, analog communications, photonics and power electronics
Honors research is available through a separate application
The undergraduate full-time tuition rate applies to academic terms. The Boston comprehensive fee is an additional $788 per semester, with a $1,576 annual maximum. Housing, meals, insurance and other applicable charges are separate. Reduced loads and overloads follow their own billing policy.
Northeastern’s electrical engineering curriculum introduces applications early and gives cooperative education a defined place in academic planning. The Boston BSEE includes circuits and signals through biomedical applications and embedded design through robotics before moving into electronics, linear systems and electromagnetics. A two-course capstone closes the technical sequence. The catalog also includes professional preparation for co-op and explains how a successful co-op experience can fulfill a university experiential requirement. This combination is worth examining if you want your choice of electrical engineering specialty to develop through both classes and work experience.
Where it stands out
Northeastern suits students who want exposure to physical devices and embedded systems early in the degree, then room to explore technical electives or the optional semiconductor concentration. Its co-op preparation gives work experience a clearer connection to the academic plan.
What to weigh
The 133-hour degree requires careful scheduling around electives, university requirements and the capstone sequence. Co-op preparation does not guarantee a particular job or employer. Review the study calendar and experiential requirements for your plan, especially if transferring coursework or changing majors.
Michigan Tech charges different resident and nonresident rates. Fall and spring enrollment of 12–18 credits uses a tuition plateau; fewer than 12 credits and credits above 18 are assessed per credit. Earned credits, including transfer and examination credit, determine lower- or upper-division billing. Budget separately for required fees, laboratory/course fees and the engineering laptop requirement.
Michigan Tech has a clearly documented practical course sequence and gives students a choice at the final design stage. The published four-year outline moves from engineering analysis and programming into circuits, digital logic and electronics with laboratories. Energy systems, electromagnetics, signals and embedded systems follow before the final technical electives. Students can complete the electrical engineering design-project sequence or follow the Enterprise design pathway. The outline therefore makes it possible to trace a student's work from introductory problem solving to a substantial final project, rather than relying on a broad description of what the department studies.
Where it stands out
This is a useful option for someone who wants a structured plan with repeated laboratory work and a choice of capstone approach. Compare the conventional EE design sequence with Enterprise before deciding which setting fits the kind of team work you want.
What to weigh
The university identifies the outline as a sample and directs students to their degree audit and advisor. Elective choices, prerequisites and graduation timing can change the sequence. An Enterprise pathway should be planned before the final year, not treated as a last-minute substitution.
Most students entering directly from high school pay standard tuition during their first academic year. All engineering majors move to adjusted tuition at sophomore standing and above, subject to the minimum-semester policy for direct entrants. Transfer students pay the rate for their classification from their first term. Residency, credit load, mandatory fees and course fees also affect the bill.
Iowa State combines a broad electrical engineering core with an explicit requirement to develop depth through an approved course sequence. The 128-credit degree includes circuits, embedded systems, energy systems, power electronics, electromagnetic fields and machine learning. Emphasis areas extend into controls, communications, microelectronics and other parts of EE. Students complete a two-course senior design project and maintain a portfolio of technical and non-technical skills. We see particular value in this balance for students who want to explore a broad field but also leave with a coherent sequence of advanced coursework.
Where it stands out
Iowa State is worth considering for power and energy interests, or for a student who wants an organized path into another EE emphasis. The required sequence provides a useful starting point for choosing electives with an advisor instead of collecting unrelated advanced courses.
What to weigh
Co-op and internships are optional, so work experience requires its own plan. Transfer students also need to account for the upper-level credits that must be completed at Iowa State, including the senior design courses. Accepted transfer credit alone does not settle the remaining timeline.
Circuits, embedded systems, energy systems and power electronics
Electromagnetic fields, probability and machine learning
At least one approved sequence in an electrical engineering emphasis area
Areas of focus
Emphasis sequences in power, controls, communications, microelectronics and other EE areas
Admission & progression
First-year admission requires the published high school core, including four years of English and three years each of mathematics and science; engineering applicants also need two years of one world language.
First-year applicants may apply without test scores; those applications are reviewed using high school GPA and core coursework.
Transfer courses applied to the degree require C or better, and at least 30 upper-level professional and technical credits must be earned at Iowa State.
Design & practical experience
Senior Design Project I and Professionalism followed by Senior Design Project II
Published Group V engineering student-share tuition for 12 or more credits, for students first enrolled Summer 2026 through Spring 2027. This figure assumes an eligible Colorado resident applies for and authorizes the College Opportunity Fund stipend; the rate sheet marks the stipend assumption as tentative. Mandatory fees and living costs are additional. Other residency and entry groups use different rates.
Colorado Boulder’s electrical engineering degree has a visible progression from introductory projects to electronics design and a two-part capstone laboratory. Its 128-credit plan includes C programming, digital logic, embedded software engineering, microelectronics, linear systems and electromagnetic fields. The catalog also sets out advanced concentration electives alongside the core. This is a useful curriculum to inspect if your interests sit where an electronic device must interact with software or a larger physical system. Its course-level requirements make the practical work easier to compare with another school's EE degree.
Where it stands out
Colorado Boulder suits students who want embedded systems and electronics design inside a full electrical engineering foundation. The combination of programming, circuits, digital systems and capstone laboratories gives several ways to investigate how a device is built and tested.
What to weigh
Prerequisite grades can directly affect progression: the catalog requires at least C- in courses serving as prerequisites or corequisites for later required work. It also prohibits combining this BSEE with several closely related degrees and minors. Check those restrictions before planning a double major or overlapping minor.
Online engineering falls in Undergraduate College Fee 5. This resident example includes tuition, the college fee, student-initiated fee and advanced technology fee for one fall term. Other credit loads and residency categories require their own calculation. Books and living expenses are separate; use ASU’s program-specific estimator for your planned schedule.
ASU Online addresses a specific practical need: earning an electrical engineering bachelor's degree through online study. The 120-credit BSE includes circuits, signals, electromagnetics, digital design and programming, followed by a two-semester team capstone. ASU explicitly identifies Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET accreditation for this degree. The school describes a foundation in modern electrical and electronic systems, including embedded devices, power infrastructure and semiconductor applications. Its published technical courses and team project give prospective students specific requirements to compare with the campus options in this review.
Where it stands out
This is the clearest fit here if relocating for an on-campus degree is the main obstacle. The curriculum can support interests in power, embedded systems, electronics and other EE areas while allowing you to study through ASU Online.
What to weigh
Online does not mean every course follows a short session: later courses use 15-week terms. Engineering admission standards also exceed general university minimums. Before enrolling, confirm the laboratory arrangements, weekly schedule and professional-licensure requirements for your location directly with ASU.
Attendance:Early courses use 7.5-week sessions; upper-division courses use 15-week terms.
Circuits, signals and systems, digital design and electromagnetics
Programming with C++ and random signal analysis
Upper-division electrical engineering and technical electives
Admission & progression
First-year engineering applicants need one of the stated academic qualifications: 1210 SAT, 24 ACT, 3.00 ABOR GPA or a top-quarter class rank, plus no high school mathematics or science competency deficiencies.
Applicants transferring 24 or more credits can meet the primary criteria with a 3.00 transfer GPA and the applicable mathematics/science competency requirements.
The secondary route for applicants with at least 24 transfer credits requires a 2.50 transfer GPA and 2.75 across the specified early calculus and physics courses; general university admission requirements also apply.
What matters in electrical engineering bachelor’s programs
The actual bachelor's curriculum
We check the named degree's foundation, advanced courses and specialization structure. A department's graduate research list does not establish what an undergraduate will study.
Laboratory and design work
We give particular attention to required experiments, hardware work and final design projects, separating guaranteed curriculum requirements from optional experiences.
Options that change student fit
Co-op, undergraduate research, Enterprise projects and online delivery matter when the school describes how students can take part. The review explains the conditions.
A workable study plan
Credits, prerequisites, transfer conditions and academic calendars help you compare a real route through the degree. They are considered alongside the technical content.
How to compare the best electrical engineering degree programs
A useful comparison starts with the work you will have to complete. Illinois requires several ECE laboratory electives, including a hardware laboratory, alongside digital systems and senior design work. MIT takes a different approach: its degree chart ties circuits, signal processing and computation to an integrative design lab and project-based laboratory requirement. Those are specific structures you can compare.
Read the courses leading into the final project as well as the project title. A student who has already worked through circuits, measurement, embedded programming and technical communication reaches capstone with a different preparation than someone who has only read about those topics. When visiting a school, ask to see recent undergraduate work and find out which parts students designed, built and tested themselves. That gives the published curriculum a practical context.
Match the Electrical Engineering Degree to Your Technical Interests
An EE degree can leave room for very different advanced work. Power and energy courses address the generation, conversion and use of electrical energy. Communications and signal processing focus on how information is represented and handled. Semiconductor and microelectronics study moves toward the devices inside electronic systems. Computing can be a substantial part of the degree, as the name and requirements of MIT's Electrical Engineering with Computing program make clear.
Choose a school by following one potential course sequence from its prerequisites through advanced work. Check whether the courses form a required track, an optional concentration or a menu of electives. If your interests also include mechanisms, materials and moving machines, compare the mechanical and electrical engineering degree paths before deciding which foundation suits you.
Compare the Calendar as Carefully as the Curriculum
A school's practical opportunities can change how you organize college. Georgia Tech's optional co-op plan alternates study with full-time paid work. Northeastern includes co-op preparation within its Boston BSEE requirements. Michigan Tech offers more than one way to complete final design work. Compare the academic sequence attached to the option you want, including when you must decide and which courses must come first.
Online study requires the same level of scheduling attention. ASU describes shorter sessions early in its online BSE and longer terms in the upper division, ending with a team design project. Confirm laboratory arrangements and any scheduled meetings before assuming the degree will fit around an existing job. For every format, compare the full remaining study plan and your aid offer using the engineering degree cost guide.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Which are the best electrical engineering degree programs in this review?+
Illinois, Georgia Tech and MIT lead our reviewed set for different curriculum strengths: explicit laboratory depth, documented experiential options, and integrated electrical engineering with computing. The best fit for you may be another listed school if you prioritize co-op, a particular technical sequence or online study. Our order is editorial, with the reasons and sources shown in each review.
Is electrical engineering the same degree as electrical and computer engineering?+
The titles can cover different curricula. MIT's reviewed degree is Electrical Engineering with Computing; Purdue publishes separate electrical and computer engineering bachelor's degrees. Compare required circuits, signals, devices, programming and computer-systems courses before treating two similarly named degrees as equivalent.
Can you earn an electrical engineering bachelor's degree online?+
Yes. ASU explicitly offers the online BSE reviewed here and identifies its EAC of ABET accreditation. Its curriculum includes technical coursework and a two-semester team capstone. Ask about laboratory arrangements and the academic calendar; its upper-division courses use 15-week terms.
How should I check electrical engineering accreditation?+
Check the exact degree and campus, rather than infer accreditation from a university name or an engineering department. Several reviews link school statements naming the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Our engineering accreditation guide explains the distinction between engineering and engineering technology and how to verify a program.
Keep researching
Choosing a electrical engineering degree
Learn what an electrical engineering degree covers, including circuits, signals, lab work and design, plus admissions, transfer and online study.
