Engineering Degree Tier List 2024 (The BEST Engineering Degrees RANKED)

Summary

This video ranks the best engineering degrees for 2023, categorizing them into tiers from S (best) to F (worst). It evaluates degrees based on early and mid-career pay, demand, and job satisfaction scores, using data from LinkedIn and Glassdoor. Top degrees include systems engineering and software engineering, while petroleum and nuclear engineering face fluctuating demand. The host emphasizes the importance of degree flexibility and potential for career growth in the tech industry.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Systems Engineering is ranked as the top engineering degree for 2023 with high early and mid-career pay, and a high salary score of 99.53.
• 🔍 The presenter uses LinkedIn and Glassdoor to determine the demand and salary expectations for various engineering degrees, adding this method to the ranking criteria for the first time.
• 📈 Software Engineering is highlighted as one of the best degrees with an incredible number of job opportunities and high demand, placing it in the S tier.
• 🛠️ The importance of distinguishing between a degree and the actual career is emphasized, suggesting that a more general degree might offer better flexibility and recognition in the job market.
• 💡 Biomedical Engineering is noted for its high meaning score and potential for growth in the industry, despite the possibility of entering the field with a mechanical engineering degree.
• 🔌 Electrical and Computer Engineering degrees are both placed in the S tier due to their high demand, salary scores, and flexibility in the job market.
• 🌱 Environmental Engineering is considered to be on the rise with growing opportunities in the green energy and sustainability sectors, earning it a B tier ranking.
• 🏭 Industrial Engineering is praised for combining business skills with engineering, offering a solid career path and placing it in the A tier.
• 🤖 Mechatronics Engineering, although lacking comprehensive data, is mentioned as a growing field that aligns with the trends in automation and AI, but is given a tier with a note of caution regarding the data's absence.
• ♻️ Nuclear and Petroleum Engineering, despite having high salary scores, face challenges due to industry fluctuations, regulations, and public perception, resulting in a C tier ranking.

Q & A

What is the highest-ranked engineering degree according to the video?

The highest-ranked engineering degree according to the video is Systems Engineering, which is placed in the S tier.

What is the new addition to the ranking criteria for this year's list?

The new addition to the ranking criteria for this year's list is the amount of demand at the entry level, determined using LinkedIn and Glassdoor.

What is the early career pay for Systems Engineers according to the video?

The early career pay for Systems Engineers is seventy-two thousand dollars a year.

What is the salary score for Systems Engineering, and how does it compare to other degrees?

The salary score for Systems Engineering is 99.53, which is considered excellent and indicates a high salary compared to other degrees.

How does the video determine the demand score for each engineering degree?

The demand score is determined by looking at the number of job listings on LinkedIn and Glassdoor, which indicates the level of demand for that particular engineering role at the entry level.

What is the difference between a degree and a career as mentioned in the video?

The difference is that a degree is a qualification earned through education, while a career is the professional path one chooses. The video emphasizes that a degree does not always directly correlate with a specific career, and sometimes a more general degree can lead to the same career as a more specialized one.

Why is Software Engineering considered one of the best degrees according to the video?

Software Engineering is considered one of the best degrees because it has an early career pay of $69,000, a mid-career pay of $112,000, a high salary score of 86, an extremely high demand score of 127, and a large number of job opportunities.

What is the issue with using a specialized degree like Biomedical Engineering instead of a more general one like Mechanical Engineering?

The issue is that with a specialized degree like Biomedical Engineering, one might be limited to fewer job opportunities compared to someone with a more general degree like Mechanical Engineering, which offers more flexibility and a broader range of job options.

How does the video rank the demand for jobs in the engineering field?

The video ranks the demand for jobs by looking at the number of job listings on LinkedIn and Glassdoor, as well as the number of graduates per year, to determine if there is a high demand for that particular engineering role.

What is the significance of the 'meaning score' mentioned in the video?

The 'meaning score' represents the percentage of professionals who find their jobs meaningful. It is a measure of job satisfaction beyond just salary and demand, indicating how fulfilling the work is for those in the field.

What advice does the video give for someone interested in the energy industry, like petroleum or nuclear engineering?

The video suggests that while these fields can be lucrative and have high meaning scores, they are subject to fluctuations due to factors like market conditions and regulations. It advises considering a more general engineering degree that can offer entry into these industries while providing more flexibility.