Best Electrical Engineering Degree Programs in Minnesota in 2026
At Minnesota Twin Cities, the junior design project is a prerequisite for the senior design project. That earlier project follows circuits and electronics laboratory work, while the final year contains much of the technical-elective phase. The sequence gives you a way to assess project preparation before choosing among advanced electrical subjects.
Our 2026 ranking of electrical engineering degree programs in Minnesota examines this Minneapolis program through its department overview, August 2026 course plan and current university billing schedules. The most useful planning distinction is between entry to the university and later admission to the electrical major. Several junior courses require upper-division status, so a transfer or changed-major plan needs more than a simple count of completed credits.
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How we ranked electrical engineering bachelor’s programs in Minnesota
This Minnesota collection currently reviews the electrical engineering bachelor’s program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. The selection is specific to that campus and award. It does not combine electrical-related programs from other University of Minnesota campuses or treat the department’s computer engineering bachelor’s as the same degree.
Minnesota Twin Cities is selected for its documented junior-to-senior design progression, foundation in devices and signals, and advanced-elective structure. The review gives weight to the published prerequisites and current CSE charges. Its position identifies the researched selection rather than establishing a comparison with unreviewed Minnesota programs.
For 13 or more credits, undergraduate tuition is $8,372 resident or $20,390 nonresident per semester. CSE separately charges a $1,505 undergraduate tuition surcharge at nine or more credits and a $381 collegiate fee at six or more credits. Other university fees and living expenses are additional.
Minnesota's electrical plan places both junior and senior design projects in the required sequence. Before those projects, you'll study computing systems, digital design, microcontrollers, circuits, electronics and semiconductor devices. The August 2026 plan then gives much of the final year to breadth, depth and additional technical electives. This makes the transition into the major a practical planning issue: several junior courses require upper-division admission, and the department identifies the prerequisite courses that lead to that step. The published four-year schedule is a planning example, while the university's APAS degree audit controls your individual requirements.
Where it stands out
Minnesota deserves attention if you want design work before the final capstone and a substantial advanced-elective phase. The junior project follows a circuits and electronics laboratory, and the senior project builds on that earlier project plus signals and analog electronics. You can also explore approved co-op experience for technical elective credit.
What to weigh
The sample schedule assumes the required mathematics, physics and introductory electrical courses are completed in sequence. Upper-division admission and prerequisites can affect when the junior courses become available to you. Budget the CSE surcharge and collegiate fee alongside base tuition, especially when comparing resident and nonresident offers.
The August 2026 plan includes computing systems, digital system design, microcontrollers, analog and digital electronics, semiconductor devices, statistical methods, signals and systems, and transmission lines, fields and waves.
Junior and senior years include designated breadth or depth electives and additional technical electives.
APAS is the official method for tracking an individual student’s degree requirements. The four-year plan is a recommended schedule.
Admission & progression
Admission to the major requires the specified calculus, linear algebra and differential equations, physics, computing systems, signals/circuits/electronics and digital design courses.
Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C− or higher.
Courses marked upper division in the department plan require admission to the major before enrollment.
Design & practical experience
EE 3951 W is the required Junior Design Project.
EE 4951 W is the required Senior Design Project, following the junior project and named signals and electronics prerequisites.
The department links an approved CSE co-op route that can satisfy four technical elective credits through professional work experience.
What matters in electrical engineering bachelor’s programs in Minnesota
Design before graduation
The junior project and its laboratory prerequisites make the preparation for senior design visible.
Upper-division planning
Admission to the major and prerequisite courses determine when the advanced electrical sequence can begin.
Complete college charges
CSE’s surcharge and collegiate fee must be considered alongside resident or nonresident base tuition.
Junior and senior design at Minnesota Twin Cities
The August 2026 electrical course plan places the Junior Design Project, EE 3951 W, after the circuits and electronics laboratory. The Senior Design Project, EE 4951 W, then requires that junior project together with the specified signals and analog-electronics courses. This order gives you a concrete way to discuss readiness for senior work. Ask how project assignments build on the earlier laboratory experience and which prerequisites must be complete before joining a team.
The department also links a co-op route that can satisfy four technical elective credits through professional work experience. That possibility should be discussed as an approved academic arrangement, not assumed for every job. If you want a work term, map its timing against the design sequence and any course offered only in a particular semester. A useful co-op plan explains which requirement it fills and when you'll return to the remaining campus courses.
Entering the electrical engineering major in Minnesota
The listed major-entry courses include calculus, linear algebra and differential equations, introductory physics, computing systems, signals/circuits/electronics and digital system design. Prerequisite courses require a C− or better. The department marks several junior courses as upper division, meaning admission to the major must precede enrollment. The course plan is therefore a sequence of academic conditions as well as a suggested calendar.
Minnesota identifies its APAS degree audit as the official method for tracking an individual student's requirements. The four-year plan is a sample schedule and can change. Bring evaluated transfer courses and any completed science alternatives to an advising appointment. The department's subject areas include energy systems, communications, control, devices and photonics. Use the advanced-elective categories to test how one of those interests would fit your own approved plan, rather than assuming the degree title defines a single specialization.
Pricing electrical engineering degree programs in Minnesota
For 2026–27, Twin Cities undergraduate tuition at thirteen or more credits is $8,372 per semester for residents and $20,390 for nonresidents. The College of Science and Engineering separately charges an undergraduate tuition surcharge of $1,505 at nine or more credits and a collegiate fee of $381 at six or more credits. Other university fees and living expenses are additional. A comparison that uses only the university tuition headline misses material college charges.
Residency and eligible reciprocity arrangements can change the applicable base rate. Confirm the classification attached to your actual offer and check the course load at which each fee applies. The engineering cost guide helps organize that calculation. You can also compare the Minneapolis degree with the national electrical shortlist and read the ranking methodology. The strongest financial comparison uses the same enrollment period, the same living-expense assumptions and each school's actual aid award.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Which electrical engineering degree programs in Minnesota are included?+
This page reviews the University of Minnesota Twin Cities electrical bachelor’s program in Minneapolis. Its sources, course sequence and billing details apply to that program and campus.
Does Minnesota require a project before senior electrical design?+
Yes. The published plan requires the Junior Design Project before the Senior Design Project. The junior project itself follows the specified circuits and electronics laboratory, which makes the course sequence important.
Is admission to Minnesota the same as upper-division electrical admission?+
The department separately identifies admission-to-major courses and marks several junior courses as upper division. Review those requirements with an advisor, especially when transferring or changing majors.
Does the Minnesota resident tuition rate include the CSE surcharge?+
No. The university publishes base tuition and the CSE undergraduate surcharge separately. The collegiate fee and other applicable university charges also need to be included in an individual budget.
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.
