Computer Engineering Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Integration of electrical engineering and computer science to develop computer hardware and systems.
Starting Salary
$50K
median
Mid-Career
$125K
salary
ROI Payback
3 yrs
avg payback
Unemployment
2%
rate
Computer Engineering Overview
Integration of electrical engineering and computer science to develop computer hardware and systems.
Category
Engineering
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Graduation Rate
65%
Enrollment Trend
growing
Online Available
Limited
Underemployment
10%
Lifetime Premium
$1100K
Female Graduates
15%
Computer Engineering Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your actual return on investment based on school type and scholarships.
0 to $40K/year in aid
Est. Total Cost
$21,600
4-year tuition
Net Cost (w/ aid)
$21,600
after scholarships
ROI Payback
1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return
$1,078,400
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,100,000) minus net degree cost ($21,600)
Computer Engineering Salary Progression
Common Computer Engineering Careers
Hardware Engineer
Firmware Engineer
Systems Architect
Top Employers
Skills You'll Learn
Top Schools for Computer Engineering
#1
MIT
#2
Stanford
#3
Carnegie Mellon
#4
UC Berkeley
#5
Georgia Tech
Related Majors
Computer Engineering Degree FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment and graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES/IPEDS). Tuition estimates based on College Board Annual Survey of Colleges. Last updated March 2026.
Computer Engineering Programs by City
Tuition, salary outcomes, and cost of living for computer engineering programs vary by city. See your local numbers:
Compare All College Majors
Analyze ROI, salary potential, and career outcomes for 150+ college majors.