Best Colleges for Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineering graduates earn strong starting salaries, with the average reaching $67,367 annually. This field combines engineering principles with business optimization, making graduates valuable across manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and logistics sectors. When evaluating programs among the 82 schools offering this major, students should prioritize hands-on laboratory experience, internship partnerships with major employers, and coursework in data analytics and supply chain management. Look for programs that emphasize both technical skills and project management capabilities. The best programs also provide exposure to modern software tools like simulation modeling and lean manufacturing principles. Faculty with industry experience and strong career placement rates are additional indicators of program quality.

Schools Ranked

$76,487

Avg. Program Earnings

77.4%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 25 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Median Earnings	Graduation Rate	School Type
1	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, Connecticut	$82,440	65.4%	public
2	University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut	$82,440	83.8%	public
3	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, Connecticut	$82,440	59.5%	public
4	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, Connecticut	$82,440	56.7%	public
5	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, Connecticut	$82,440	56.9%	public
6	Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois	$79,849	95.9%	private-nonprofit
7	SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, New York	$79,081	74.9%	public
8	University of Southern California Los Angeles, California	$78,029	92.0%	private-nonprofit
9	Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan	$77,401	56.5%	public
10	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan	$77,235	93.2%	public
11	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York	$77,213	83.2%	private-nonprofit
12	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts	$76,460	88.4%	private-nonprofit
13	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, Georgia	$76,283	92.3%	public
14	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois	$75,775	84.9%	public
15	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, Ohio	$75,667	87.7%	public
16	Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	$75,623	89.2%	private-nonprofit
17	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, Louisiana	$73,949	71.0%	public
18	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, California	$73,562	85.2%	public
19	University of Houston Houston, Texas	$73,530	64.9%	public
20	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin	$72,895	89.3%	public
21	Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio	$71,957	52.9%	public
22	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas	$71,854	70.0%	public
23	Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida	$71,643	83.0%	public
24	University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa	$71,351	73.1%	public
25	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia	$70,628	86.3%	public