Average Tuition Costs for Engineering Graduate School

Engineering professionals develop new and innovative products and services designed to simplify and improve everyday activities. Engineering graduate schools provide students opportunities to seek advanced careers and earn higher wages.

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What is the Average Tuition Cost for Engineering Graduate School?

Tuition costs for a graduate degree program in engineering are determined by the type of engineering program, as well as the type of the academic institution. Public colleges, such as state universities, often have lower tuition rates than private universities. Many graduate schools also charge fees, such as application, registration and book fees, which increase the total cost of attendance. Determining average tuition costs is difficult, since rates vary greatly among institutions, and some schools even fluctuate rates per semester.

Tuition and Fee Waivers

Many schools offer graduate students a waiver on fees and may offer partial or full tuition waivers for certain students or programs. Eligibility requirements vary by school. Students should find out if they qualify for any type of waiver with the school's registrar. A few examples of waivers include:

University Waiver Eligibility
Stanford University Application fee McNair scholars
Florida State University Tuition State or school employees, graduate assistants
Brown University Application fee Financial need
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Application fee Financial need
University of Southern Florida Tuition Graduate fellows and assistants
University of California - Berkeley Tuition Nonresident doctoral candidates

Graduate Schools' Engineering Tuition Rates

U.S. News and World Report ranks public and private engineering graduate schools annually based on the quality of the program, teachers and student outcomes. The following table shows the 2009-2011 annual in-state, full-time tuition rates, including fees, for the top five graduate schools for engineering programs (www.usnews.com).

University Public or Private Annual tuition
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Private $38,940
Stanford University Private $41,420
University of California - Berkeley Public $16,299
Georgia Institute of Technology Public $22,776
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Public $13,636

Tuition Assistance - Grants and Fellowships

Several organizations offer grants and other types of free student aid to engineering graduate students. Some provide annual allowances or stipends, while others provide full tuition assistance. Often, students must attend schools affiliated with the granting organization, though there are some that allow a student to choose the institution they wish to attend. Some examples include:

  • The National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship - Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, up to three years of full tuition, fees, insurance and annual stipend are covered for several engineering disciplines at any school in the country (ndseg.asee.org).
  • Environmental Engineers of the Future - Offering $10,000 in tuition assistance, students receiving the award must commit to two years of employment with the organization after graduation (www.engineeringmastersfunding.org).
  • National Science Foundation - Graduate students may choose among a variety of grant and fellowship opportunities, including tuition assistance and cultural research project funding (www.nsf.gov).
  • Society of Women Engineers - Women interested in engineering and computer science may qualify for up to $10,000 in scholarships and fellowships (societyofwomenengineers.swe.org).

Engineering Graduate Job and Salary Outlook

The 2009 salary report released by Payscale.com indicated that seven of the ten highest paid college majors were in engineering. While the report based the findings on bachelor's degree holders, further studies on the website found students with an equivalent master's degree earn approximately 17% more than undergraduates, and Ph.D.s made up to 26% higher wages.

Rank Engineering job Bachelor's degree Master's degree Doctorate degree
1 Aerospace $55,477- $72,327 $68,207- $99,296 $74,152- $101,725
2 Chemical $59,625- $81,189 $62,841- $99,083 $68,899- $103,693
3 Computer $54,367- $88,967 $66,033- $98,250 No data
4 Electrical $55,254- $102,106 $60,595- $111,589 $76,726- $125,677
7 Mechanical $53,318- $80,064 $80,131- $96,950 $80,675- $100,704
9 Industrial $51,715- $9,216 $63,871- $85,489 No data
10 Environmental $51,180- $67,604 $56,782- $81,389 No data

In addition to the highest paid employees, CNN's Money Magazine reported in October 2009 that engineers in the telecommunications and computer fields secured the first two positions for careers that anticipate the most growth. Companies may also require the specialized training of environmental engineers as they seek to restructure in more environmentally responsible ways.

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4 Popular Schools

Other Schools:

  • Iowa State University

    School locations:
    • Iowa (1 campus)
    Areas of study you may find at Iowa State University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Engineering
      • Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
      • Biological and Agricultural Engineering
      • Biomedical and Medical Engineering
      • Chemical Engineering
      • Civil Engineering
      • Computer Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering and Electronics
      • Engineering Mechanics
      • Industrial Engineering
      • Materials Engineering
      • Math
      • Mechanical Engineering
      • Systems Engineering
    » Research Iowa State University's Programs

  • University of Michigan

    School locations:
    • Michigan (2 campuses)
    Areas of study you may find at University of Michigan include:
      • Graduate: Master
      • Post Degree Certificate: Postbaccalaureate Certificate
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Engineering
      • Computer Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering and Electronics
      • Industrial Engineering
      • Manufacturing Engineering
      • Math
      • Mechanical Engineering
    » View University of Michigan's Locations and Degree Programs

  • University of South Florida

    School locations:
    • Florida (1 campus)
    Areas of study you may find at University of South Florida include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Associate, Bachelor
    • Engineering
      • Biomedical and Medical Engineering
      • Chemical Engineering
      • Civil Engineering
      • Computer Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering and Electronics
      • Environmental Engineering
      • Industrial Engineering
      • Math
      • Mechanical Engineering
    » Research University of South Florida's Programs & Degrees

  • Texas Tech University

    School locations:
    • Texas (1 campus)
    Areas of study you may find at Texas Tech University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Engineering
      • Chemical Engineering
      • Civil Engineering
      • Computer Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering and Electronics
      • Engineering - Architectural
      • Engineering Physics
      • Environmental Engineering
      • Industrial Engineering
      • Manufacturing Engineering
      • Math
      • Mechanical Engineering
      • Petroleum Engineering
    » Research Texas Tech University's Programs & Degrees

  • Northern Arizona University

    School locations:
    • Arizona (1 campus)
    Areas of study you may find at Northern Arizona University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, Master
      • Non-Degree: Certificate
      • Post Degree Certificate: Postbaccalaureate Certificate
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Engineering
      • Civil Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering and Electronics
      • Environmental Engineering
      • Math
      • Mechanical Engineering
    » Research Northern Arizona University's Degree Programs

  • University of Washington

    School locations:
    • Washington (1 campus)
    Areas of study you may find at University of Washington include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Engineering
      • Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
      • Biomedical and Medical Engineering
      • Chemical Engineering
      • Civil Engineering
      • Computer Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering and Electronics
      • Industrial Engineering
      • Materials Engineering
      • Math
      • Mechanical Engineering
      • Metallurgical Engineering
    » Research University of Washington's Degree Programs

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Avg. Wages For Related Jobs

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics