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General Engineering

Types of Degrees General Engineering Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	438
Associate’s Degree	4,909
Bachelor’s Degree	2,959
Master’s Degree	4,683
Doctor’s Degree	422

What General Engineering Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Engineering 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 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a General Engineering 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 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 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 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.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development 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 graduates include:

• Engineer
• Research Engineer
• Project Engineer
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Mining Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Teacher
• Applied Mechanics Teacher
• Metallography Teacher
• Lecturer
• Petroleum Engineering Teacher
• Professor
• Marine Engineering Teacher
• Civil Engineering Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Professor
• Adjunct Engineering Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.7%
Doctoral degree	26.6%
Master’s degree	11.6%
Post-doctoral training	6.4%
Post-master’s certificate	5.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
Postsecondary certificate	2.5%
Some college courses	2.3%
First professional degree	1.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.8%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 75.8% of General Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,240	24.2%
Men	10,171	75.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,697	42.5%
Asian	1,072	8.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1,976	14.7%
Black or African American	657	4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	76	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.1%
Two or More Races	498	3.7%
Race Unknown	399	3.0%
International Students	3,022	22.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Engineering Graduates Earn?

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

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$79,788
4 years	$83,175
5 years	$92,105

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $92,105 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Engineering Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for General Engineering. 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
Associate’s	16	17
Bachelor’s	3	13
Master’s	24	26
Doctoral (Research)	4	4

^{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 Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Engineering graduates earn a median of $83,175 four years after completion — roughly 119% 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	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Agricultural Engineering	14.03
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33

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.