Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Degree Programs 2026

Why it ranks #1

Ranked #1 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (93.3/100): 93% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $18,516 in-state tuition, 37 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

93% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$18,516 in-state tuition
37 graduates annually

🥈

Northeastern University

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Boston, MAPrivate nonprofit

$135,980 median salary · 91% graduation rate

92.2

Score

$65K

Tuition/yr

91%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #2

Ranked #2 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (92.2/100): 91% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $64,990 in-state tuition, 22 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

91% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$64,990 in-state tuition
22 graduates annually

🥉

Northwestern University

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Evanston, ILPrivate nonprofit

$135,980 median salary · 95% graduation rate

91.9

Score

$67K

Tuition/yr

95%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #3

Ranked #3 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (91.9/100): 95% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $67,158 in-state tuition, 7 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

95% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$67,158 in-state tuition
7 graduates annually

University of Notre Dame

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Notre Dame, INPrivate nonprofit

$135,980 median salary · 95% graduation rate

91.5

Score

$65K

Tuition/yr

95%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #4

Ranked #4 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (91.5/100): 95% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $64,518 in-state tuition, 28 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

95% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$64,518 in-state tuition
28 graduates annually

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Charlottesville, VAPublic

$135,980 median salary · 96% graduation rate

91.1

Score

$19K

Tuition/yr

96%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #5

Ranked #5 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (91.1/100): 96% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $19,472 in-state tuition, 9 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

96% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$19,472 in-state tuition
9 graduates annually

University of Southern California

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Los Angeles, CAPrivate nonprofit

$135,980 median salary · 92% graduation rate

90.5

Score

$70K

Tuition/yr

92%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #6

Ranked #6 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (90.5/100): 92% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $69,904 in-state tuition, 2 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

92% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$69,904 in-state tuition
2 graduates annually

Boston University

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Boston, MAPrivate nonprofit

$135,980 median salary · 89% graduation rate

90.5

Score

$67K

Tuition/yr

89%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #7

Ranked #7 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (90.5/100): 89% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $66,670 in-state tuition, 11 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

89% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$66,670 in-state tuition
11 graduates annually

University of Florida

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Gainesville, FLPublic

$135,980 median salary · 91% graduation rate

88.9

Score

$4K

Tuition/yr

91%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #8

Ranked #8 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (88.9/100): 91% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $4,477 in-state tuition, 1 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

91% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$4,477 in-state tuition
1 graduates annually

Washington University in St Louis

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

St. Louis, MOPrivate nonprofit

$135,980 median salary · 94% graduation rate

88.3

Score

$65K

Tuition/yr

94%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #9

Ranked #9 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (88.3/100): 94% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $64,500 in-state tuition, 2 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

94% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$64,500 in-state tuition
2 graduates annually

#10

University of California-Irvine

Doctorate in Computer EngineeringOn-campus

Irvine, CAPublic

$135,980 median salary · 87% graduation rate

86.7

Score

$12K

Tuition/yr

87%

Grad Rate

$136K

Median Salary

Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs in California

Why it ranks #10

Ranked #10 among computer engineering doctorate programs by Hakia Score (86.7/100): 87% graduation rate, $135,980 median salary, $12,260 in-state tuition, 9 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

87% graduation rate
$135,980 median salary
$12,260 in-state tuition
9 graduates annually

Best Computer Engineering PhD Programs - Top 10, Complete Program Data

#1. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks University of Michigan-Ann Arbor's doctorate computer engineering program #1. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Ann Arbor, MI | Type: Public | Tuition: $18,516/year | Graduation Rate: 93% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 93.3
#2. Northeastern University — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks Northeastern University's doctorate computer engineering program #2. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Boston, MA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $64,990/year | Graduation Rate: 91% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 92.2
#3. Northwestern University — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks Northwestern University's doctorate computer engineering program #3. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Evanston, IL | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $67,158/year | Graduation Rate: 95% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 91.9
#4. University of Notre Dame — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks University of Notre Dame's doctorate computer engineering program #4. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Notre Dame, IN | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $64,518/year | Graduation Rate: 95% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 91.5
#5. University of Virginia-Main Campus — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks University of Virginia-Main Campus's doctorate computer engineering program #5. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Charlottesville, VA | Type: Public | Tuition: $19,472/year | Graduation Rate: 96% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 91.1
#6. University of Southern California — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks University of Southern California's doctorate computer engineering program #6. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Los Angeles, CA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $69,904/year | Graduation Rate: 92% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 90.5
#7. Boston University — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks Boston University's doctorate computer engineering program #7. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Boston, MA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $66,670/year | Graduation Rate: 89% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 90.5
#8. University of Florida — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks University of Florida's doctorate computer engineering program #8. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Gainesville, FL | Type: Public | Tuition: $4,477/year | Graduation Rate: 91% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 88.9
#9. Washington University in St Louis — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks Washington University in St Louis's doctorate computer engineering program #9. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: St. Louis, MO | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $64,500/year | Graduation Rate: 94% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 88.3
#10. University of California-Irvine — Doctorate Computer Engineering
Hakia ranks University of California-Irvine's doctorate computer engineering program #10. Degree: Doctorate (research). Delivery: on-campus. Location: Irvine, CA | Type: Public | Tuition: $12,260/year | Graduation Rate: 87% | Median Salary: $135,980 | Score: 86.7

Full Computer Engineering Doctoral Rankings 2026

Rank	Program & School	Delivery	Annual Tuition	Grad Rate	Median Salary	Hakia Score
#1	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public	On-campus	$18,516	93%	$135,980	93.3
#2	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Northeastern University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$64,990	91%	$135,980	92.2
#3	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$67,158	95%	$135,980	91.9
#4	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$64,518	95%	$135,980	91.5
#5	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA · Public	On-campus	$19,472	96%	$135,980	91.1
#6	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$69,904	92%	$135,980	90.5
#7	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Boston University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$66,670	89%	$135,980	90.5
#8	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	On-campus	$4,477	91%	$135,980	88.9
#9	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$64,500	94%	$135,980	88.3
#10	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public	On-campus	$12,260	87%	$135,980	86.7
#11	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public	On-campus	$12,260	86%	$135,980	86.1
#12	Doctorate in Computer Engineering North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public	On-campus	$6,535	85%	$135,980	84.9
#13	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	On-campus	$12,180	88%	$135,980	84.7
#14	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	On-campus	$11,016	82%	$135,980	81.8
#15	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA · Public	On-campus	$13,152	86%	$135,980	81.7
#16	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$63,930	88%	$135,980	81.6
#17	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Central Florida Orlando, FL · Public	On-campus	$4,478	78%	$135,980	81.2
#18	Doctorate in Computer Engineering San Diego State University San Diego, CA · Public	On-campus	$6,084	76%	$135,980	80.9
#19	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	On-campus	$14,038	87%	$135,980	80.9
#20	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public	Online	$9,092	84%	$135,980	80.6
#21	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$60,639	88%	$135,980	80.4
#22	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of South Florida Tampa, FL · Public	On-campus	$4,559	77%	$135,980	79.9
#23	Doctorate in Computer Engineering George Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$67,420	84%	$135,980	79.6
#24	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$61,028	87%	$135,980	79.5
#25	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	On-campus	$17,010	83%	$135,980	78.6
#26	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY · Public	On-campus	$7,070	76%	$135,980	78.4
#27	Doctorate in Computer Engineering The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public	On-campus	$11,560	74%	$135,980	76.0
#28	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public	On-campus	$12,288	79%	$135,980	74.5
#29	Doctorate in Computer Engineering The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX · Public	On-campus	$10,639	76%	$135,980	73.6
#30	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	On-campus	$14,600	81%	$135,980	72.8
#31	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA · Public	On-campus	$12,260	75%	$135,980	70.1
#32	Doctorate in Computer Engineering New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ · Public	On-campus	$16,334	73%	$135,980	70.0
#33	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public	On-campus	$11,478	68%	$135,980	68.8
#34	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$50,636	75%	$135,980	68.7
#35	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	On-campus	$11,685	75%	$135,980	68.6
#36	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$48,340	72%	$135,980	67.6
#37	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Houston Houston, TX · Public	On-campus	$8,685	65%	$135,980	66.4
#38	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public	On-campus	$9,252	75%	$135,980	66.3
#39	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL · Public	On-campus	$2,522	63%	$135,980	65.7
#40	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	On-campus	$9,286	75%	$135,980	65.5
#41	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL · Public	On-campus	$10,374	64%	$135,980	65.3
#42	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL · Public	On-campus	$9,048	64%	$135,980	65.0
#43	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA · Public	On-campus	$16,246	65%	$135,980	63.7
#44	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO · Public	On-campus	$13,656	64%	$135,980	63.1
#45	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO · Public	On-campus	$10,610	67%	$135,980	62.6
#46	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$44,620	64%	$135,980	62.5
#47	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Louisville Louisville, KY · Public	On-campus	$12,940	61%	$135,980	62.1
#48	Doctorate in Computer Engineering The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX · Public	On-campus	$9,206	54%	$135,980	61.4
#49	Doctorate in Computer Engineering University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA · Public	On-campus	$5,407	53%	$135,980	59.8
#50	Doctorate in Computer Engineering Tennessee State University Nashville, TN · Public	On-campus	$7,368	34%	$135,980	58.9

Showing all 50 ranked programs.

Industry Research vs Academic Faculty Careers

Factor	Industry Research	Academic Faculty
Starting Salary	$150,000-$200,000+	$100,000-$140,000
Salary Ceiling	$300,000-$500,000+ (with equity)	$150,000-$250,000
Job Security	Project-dependent, at-will	Tenure after 6-7 years
Research Freedom	Aligned with company goals	High autonomy after tenure
Publication Pressure	Varies by company	Essential for tenure
Resources	Well-funded, large compute	Grant-dependent
Work-Life Balance	Better	Highly variable
Impact Timeline	Faster deployment	Long-term influence
Typical Employers	Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI	Universities, research institutes

Source: Salary data from [CRA Taulbee Survey](https://cra.org/resources/taulbee-survey/) and [Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/)

Top States for Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs

Total Programs: 25
Median Tuition: $9,500

Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs in Texas

University of California

Total Programs: 20
Median Tuition: $8,500

Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs in New York

University of Texas

Total Programs: 18
Median Tuition: $12,000

Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs in Florida

SUNY

Total Programs: 15
Median Tuition: $6,500

Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs in Virginia

University of Florida

Total Programs: 12
Median Tuition: $11,000

Best Computer Engineering Doctoral Programs in Pennsylvania

Virginia Tech

Total Programs: 14
Median Tuition: $14,000