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General Engineering Science

Types of Degrees General Engineering Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing General Engineering Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	319
Bachelor’s Degree	521
Master’s Degree	369
Doctor’s Degree	139

What General Engineering Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Engineering Science develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Engineering Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Engineering Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a General Engineering Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Engineering Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Engineering Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Engineering Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Engineering Science graduates include:

• Environmental Engineering Professor
• Professor
• Heat Engineering Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Petroleum Engineering Professor
• Ceramic Engineering Professor
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Civil Engineering Professor
• Marine Engineering Professor
• Associate Professor
• Plastics Engineering Teacher
• Automotive Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Engineering Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	30.7%
Bachelor’s degree	29.6%
Master’s degree	11.8%
Post-doctoral training	8.0%
Post-master’s certificate	7.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
Some college courses	1.6%
First professional degree	1.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Engineering Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 66% of General Engineering Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	458	34.0%
Men	890	66.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Engineering Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	551	40.9%
Asian	146	10.8%
Hispanic or Latino	177	13.1%
Black or African American	91	6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.4%
Two or More Races	38	2.8%
Race Unknown	39	2.9%
International Students	301	22.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Engineering Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General Engineering Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$80,132
4 years	$77,602
5 years	$85,312

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $85,312 — roughly 6% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online General Engineering Science Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for General Engineering Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	4	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in General Engineering Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Engineering Science graduates earn a median of $77,602 four years after completion — roughly 104% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering Science	14.13
Architectural Engineering	14.0401
Biochemical Engineering	14.4301
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.4501
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering	14.0702
Construction Engineering	14.3301
Electrical and Computer Engineering	14.4701
Electromechanical Engineering	14.4101
Energy Systems Engineering, General	14.4801
Energy Systems Engineering, Other	14.4899
Engineering Chemistry	14.4401

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.