Throughout all of history, societies have always needed engineers. Every building, road, vehicle, and basic household object are the product of engineers. Engineers make sure the world works. They keep us safe, sheltered, and able to go about our daily lives.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in engineering, receiving an undergraduate engineering degree is vital to your success. An engineering degree can set you up for life. Engineering degrees can give you an advantage in practically any field—not only engineering, but also in math, business, or any kind of science. And the salaries for engineers are beyond competitive.
An engineering degree can also enable you to find a fulfilling career. Engineers use their creativity and problem-solving skills on a daily basis. The work of engineers is rarely dull or repetitive, and engineers tend to have higher job satisfaction than people in most other fields.
Often, engineering students do not have to pursue further education after receiving their bachelor’s degree. That’s why picking a school to get your engineering degree is extra important.
So, what are the best engineering colleges in the Lone Star State?
University of Texas, Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university located in the central Texan capitol of Austin. It is highly selective with an acceptance rate of 33%. University of Texas at Austin has a student population of over 50,000.
At the UT Rockwell School of Engineering, students are equipped with the skills needed to thrive. The Rockwell School of Engineering is a world leader in the development of AI. Students at Rockwell have an impressive array of fields to choose from. These include:
- Petroleum engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Electrical/Electronic Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Rice University
Rice University is a private research university located in Houston, Texas. It is extremely selective with an acceptance rate of 9%. Rice is not a huge school and boasts a modest population of under 9,000 undergraduates.
Rice hosts the George R. Brown School of Engineering. The school offers 18 different degrees under the umbrella of engineering. On top of classes, students have ample opportunities to participate in hands-on research during their time at Rice.
For example, at Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, students of all engineering disciplines are able to design, prototype, and engineer their own ideas. The OEDK contains 3D printers, an electronics lab, laser cutters, and more.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M is a public research university located in College Station, Texas. It is slightly selective with an acceptance rate of 63%. A&M is one of the largest universities in the US, with a population of over 70,000 students.
A&M’s College of Engineering offers 15 different undergraduate majors. A&M is especially known for its agricultural sciences, and its agricultural engineering program is among the best in the nation. It also ranks among the top schools for environmental engineering.
A&M’s College of Engineering offers courses in:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Biological and Agricultural Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Ocean Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a public research university located in Houston, Texas. It is slightly selective with an acceptance rate of 66%. University of Houston is a large college with over 40,000 students.
University of Houston’s engineering program is housed in the Cullen College of Engineering. The program offers:
- Biomedical engineering
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Computer engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Industrial evolution
- Mechanical engineering
- Petroleum engineering
In addition, University of Houston also offers an Honors Engineering Program, a select community of Honors students whose curriculum centers project-oriented, team-based learning. The Honors Engineering Program gives students an edge in receiving internships and jobs after graduation.
The College of Engineering also contains PROMES, or Program for Mastery of Engineering, which provides students with workshops, recruitment, scholarships, and other opportunities for professional and personal development.
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private research university located in University Park, Texas, north of Dallas. SMU is slightly selective with an acceptance rate of 52%. The total enrollment of SMU in Fall 2023 was just under 12,000, meaning SMU is a medium sized university.
The SMU Lyle School of Engineering offers students individualized attention, leadership opportunities, and research experience. The Hart Center for Engineering Leadership provides students with the resources to earn a leadership certificate, work on their resumes, learn how to be successful in interviews, and seek internships.
The Lyle School of Engineering also provides students with an interdisciplinary, community-based Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity which seeks to empower the local Dallas community.
Majors offered by Lyle School of Engineering include:
- Civil engineering
- Computer science
- Electrical & computer engineeringsome text
- Electrical & computer engineering majors can follow a biomedical track, a computer engineering track, or an electrical engineering track.
- Environmental engineeringsome text
- Environmental engineering majors have the opportunity to follow a pre-medical track.
- Management science
- Mechanical engineeringsome text
- Mechanical engineering majors can follow a pre-medical or biomedical track.
University of Texas, Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. It is not very selective and has an acceptance rate of 81%. UT Arlington is home to almost 40,000 students.
UTA’s College of Engineering is the highest rated engineering school in North Texas. It offers 7 engineering departments, each with several majors under the general umbrella. These departments include:
- Bioengineering
- Civil engineering
- Computer science & engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Industrial, manufacturing, & systems engineering
- Materials science & engineering
- Mechanical & aerospace engineering
UTA’s College of Engineering also contains the Engineering Student Success Center. Here, engineering students are offered resources to help them reach career readiness, including advising, academic support, leadership development, mentoring, programs, events, and workshops.
University of Texas, Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas is a public research university located in Dallas, Texas. It is not very selective and has an acceptance rate of 85%. UT Dallas has a student population of over 30,000.
UT Dallas hosts the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. The school has recently doubled in size and welcomed four new departments and nine new majors. These majors include:
- Biomedical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Material science
- Analog electronics
- Cybersecurity
- Systems Engineering
- Robotics
- Control systems
UT Dallas is located in the epicenter of an tech hub known as the Telecom Corridor. Many students find ample internship, research, and career opportunities with companies in the surrounding area.
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University is a public research university located in Lubbock, Texas, around two hours south of Amarillo. It is slightly selective with an acceptance rate of 67%. Texas Tech has a student population of around 40,000.
Texas Tech’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering empowers engineering students to address global issues, such as the trend towards alternative energy, the increasing presence of big data, and the rapidly changing infrastructure of the 21st century. The College of Engineering also empowers students to learn independently from their formal education, in what they call “sustainable education.”
Undergraduate engineering majors provided by Texas Tech include:
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Computer engineering
- Computer science
- Construction engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Environmental engineering
- Industrial, manufacturing, and systems engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Petroleum engineering
The school is especially well-regarded for its Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering. It ranks among the top 20 petroleum engineering programs in the country.
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public research university, located on the far outskirts of the DFW metropolitan area. It is not all that selective, with an acceptance rate of 79%. University of North Texas boasts a student population of around 40,000.
The UNT College of Engineering has over 4,000 undergraduate students. The College of Engineering is very active in research, and is on the forefront of cybersecurity technology, bioengineering, and additive manufacturing. The college also endeavors to support the wider DFW community through the K-12 engineering outreach program, UNT STEM@thePark.
Undergraduate degrees offered by the UNT College of Engineering include:
- Biomedical engineering
- Computer engineering
- Computer science
- Construction management
- Cybersecurity
- Electrical engineering
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) & computer science
- Materials science and engineering
- Mechanical and energy engineering
UNT also has strong partnerships with the Air Force and the Army research labs, as well as other government projects. Some examples of these are defense and short and long-term nuclear waste storage.
What to look for in an engineering college
What elements of an engineering college make it ‘good’? What is the best indicator for a student’s success after graduation?
If an engineering program offers internships and co-op experiences, this is a sure way to get hands-on experience in the field.
Same goes for on-campus research.
Look at the curriculum—do the classes interest or bore you? Does the school have the exact major you’re looking for?
Ultimately, what’s important varies between students. Regardless of what school you end up attending, an engineering degree is sure to set you up for a successful, fulfilling career.
