Pre-Engineering: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Q: Which universities have the largest Pre-Engineering programs?

Currently 192 accredited institutions offer Pre-Engineering degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) (118 graduates), Santa Ana College (SAC) (110 graduates), and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) (98 graduates).

Q: Is enrollment in Pre-Engineering growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 402 in 2010 to 2,722 in 2023-24. This represents a 577% increase overall from 2010.

Program Overview

Designed to lay a robust academic foundation for students pursuing advanced engineering studies, this program offers a comprehensive curriculum tailored to meet the rigorous prerequisites of bachelor’s degree programs across all engineering disciplines. It equips learners with the analytical, mathematical, and scientific competencies essential for success in competitive engineering fields.

Calculus and Advanced Mathematics: Develops proficiency in differential and integral calculus, multivariable functions, and mathematical modeling to solve complex engineering problems.
Physics for Engineers: Explores fundamental principles of mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, and magnetism with applications relevant to engineering design and analysis.
General Chemistry: Covers atomic structure, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, and thermodynamics to support understanding of materials and processes in engineering systems.
Engineering Graphics and Design: Introduces technical drawing, computer-aided design (CAD), and visualization techniques used in planning and communicating engineering solutions.
Introduction to Engineering Principles: Provides an overview of core engineering concepts, including systems thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and the engineering design process.
Technical Communication: Builds skills in writing technical reports, presenting engineering findings, and collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary teams.

Pre-Engineering Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

2,722

Total Graduates (2023-2024)

192

Universities & Colleges

N/A

Career Pathways

Career & Salary Outlook Schools Offering This Program Related Programs

Pre-Engineering Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Pre-Engineering degrees, including . These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements.

Career salary data is not available for this program.

Top Universities for Pre-Engineering by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Pre-Engineering programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Pre-Engineering is found at Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) (118 graduates), Santa Ana College (SAC) (110 graduates), Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) (98 graduates), Moore Norman Technology Center (MNTC) (86 graduates), and Utah Valley University (UVU) (78 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,424 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name	Award Levels	Graduates	Admissions	Location	Control	Website
Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech)	Associate's	118	N/A	Raleigh, North Carolina	Public	waketech.edu
Santa Ana College (SAC)	Associate's Other Award	110	N/A	Santa Ana, California	Public	sac.edu
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC)	Associate's	98	N/A	Perkinston, Mississippi	Public	mgccc.edu
Moore Norman Technology Center (MNTC)	Certificate (1-2 yrs)	86	N/A	Norman, Oklahoma	Public	mntc.edu
Utah Valley University (UVU)	Associate's	78	N/A	Orem, Utah	Public	uvu.edu
Clovis Community College (CCC)	Associate's Other Award	70	N/A	Fresno, California	Public	cloviscollege.edu
Northeast Technology Center	Certificate (1-2 yrs)	63	N/A	Pryor, Oklahoma	Public	netech.edu
Ventura College	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's	59	N/A	Ventura, California	Public	venturacollege.edu
Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech)	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's Other Award	57	N/A	Indianapolis, Indiana	Public	ivytech.edu
Moorpark College	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's	55	N/A	Moorpark, California	Public	moorparkcollege.edu
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC)	Associate's	55	N/A	Charlotte, North Carolina	Public	cpcc.edu
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC)	Associate's	48	N/A	Chandler, Arizona	Public	cgc.maricopa.edu
Tulsa Community College (TCC)	Associate's	45	N/A	Tulsa, Oklahoma	Public	tulsacc.edu
Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC)	Associate's	44	N/A	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Public	occc.edu
Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)	Associate's	42	N/A	Albuquerque, New Mexico	Public	cnm.edu
Fresno City College (FCC)	Associate's Other Award	41	N/A	Fresno, California	Public	fresnocitycollege.edu
University of Arkansas (UAFS)	Associate's	39	ACT: 18-23	Fort Smith, Arkansas	Public	uafs.edu
Mesa Community College (MCC)	Associate's	35	N/A	Mesa, Arizona	Public	mesacc.edu
Santa Monica College (SMC)	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's Other Award	35	N/A	Santa Monica, California	Public	smc.edu
Henry Ford College (HFC)	Associate's	35	N/A	Dearborn, Michigan	Public	hfcc.edu
Utah Tech University (UT)	Associate's	33	N/A	Saint George, Utah	Public	utahtech.edu
Hartnell College	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's	31	N/A	Salinas, California	Public	hartnell.edu
Norco College	Associate's	31	N/A	Norco, California	Public	norcocollege.edu
Minnesota North College	Associate's	30	N/A	Hibbing, Minnesota	Public	minnesotanorth.edu
Bakersfield College (BC)	Associate's	29	N/A	Bakersfield, California	Public	bakersfieldcollege.edu
Santa Barbara City College (SBCC)	Associate's	29	N/A	Santa Barbara, California	Public	sbcc.edu
Antelope Valley Community College District (AVCCD)	Associate's Other Award	28	N/A	Lancaster, California	Public	avc.edu
San Diego Miramar College	Associate's	28	N/A	San Diego, California	Public	sdmiramar.edu
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC)	Associate's	28	N/A	Kalamazoo, Michigan	Public	kvcc.edu
Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC)	Associate's	28	N/A	Jamestown, North Carolina	Public	gtcc.edu
Johnston Community College (JCC)	Associate's	27	N/A	Smithfield, North Carolina	Public	johnstoncc.edu
Salt Lake Community College (SLCC)	Associate's	27	N/A	Salt Lake City, Utah	Public	slcc.edu
American River College (ARC)	Associate's	24	N/A	Sacramento, California	Public	arc.losrios.edu
Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC)	Associate's	24	N/A	Woodland Hills, California	Public	lapc.edu
Glendale Community College (GCC)	Associate's	23	N/A	Glendale, Arizona	Public	gccaz.edu
Suffolk County Community College (SUNY)	Associate's	23	N/A	Selden, New York	Public	sunysuffolk.edu
El Camino Community College District (ECC)	Associate's	22	N/A	Torrance, California	Public	elcamino.edu
Fullerton College	Associate's	22	N/A	Fullerton, California	Public	fullcoll.edu
Butler Community College	Associate's	21	N/A	El Dorado, Kansas	Public	butlercc.edu
Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC)	Associate's	21	N/A	Coon Rapids, Minnesota	Public	anokaramsey.edu
Cabrillo College	Associate's	19	N/A	Aptos, California	Public	cabrillo.edu
Reedley College	Associate's Other Award	19	N/A	Reedley, California	Public	reedleycollege.edu
Quinsigamond Community College (QCC)	Associate's Other Award	19	N/A	Worcester, Massachusetts	Public	qcc.edu
Normandale Community College	Associate's	19	N/A	Bloomington, Minnesota	Public	normandale.edu
Allan Hancock College	Associate's	17	N/A	Santa Maria, California	Public	hancockcollege.edu
Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC)	Associate's	17	N/A	Avondale, Arizona	Public	estrellamountain.edu
Cerritos College	Associate's	16	N/A	Norwalk, California	Public	cerritos.edu
Mission College	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's	16	N/A	Santa Clara, California	Public	missioncollege.edu
San Joaquin Delta College	Associate's Other Award	16	N/A	Stockton, California	Public	deltacollege.edu
Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC)	Associate's	16	N/A	Santa Rosa, California	Public	santarosa.edu
Red River Technology Center (RRTC)	Certificate (1-2 yrs)	15	N/A	Duncan, Oklahoma	Public	rrtc.edu
Cuyamaca College	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's	14	N/A	El Cajon, California	Public	cuyamaca.edu
San Diego Mesa College	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Associate's	14	N/A	San Diego, California	Public	sdmesa.edu
College of the Canyons	Associate's	13	N/A	Santa Clarita, California	Public	canyons.edu
Irvine Valley College (IVC)	Associate's Other Award	13	N/A	Irvine, California	Public	ivc.edu
Shasta College	Associate's	13	N/A	Redding, California	Public	shastacollege.edu
Century College	Associate's	13	N/A	White Bear Lake, Minnesota	Public	century.edu
Central Carolina Community College (CCCC)	Associate's	13	N/A	Sanford, North Carolina	Public	cccc.edu
Midlands Technical College (MTC)	Associate's	13	N/A	West Columbia, South Carolina	Public	midlandstech.edu
Chattanooga State Community College	Associate's	13	N/A	Chattanooga, Tennessee	Public	chattanoogastate.edu
Phoenix College (PC)	Associate's	12	N/A	Phoenix, Arizona	Public	phoenixcollege.edu
Rio Hondo College (RHC)	Associate's	12	N/A	Whittier, California	Public	riohondo.edu
Sacramento City College (SCC)	Associate's	12	N/A	Sacramento, California	Public	scc.losrios.edu
Sierra College	Associate's	12	N/A	Rocklin, California	Public	sierracollege.edu
Orange Coast College (OCC)	Associate's	11	N/A	Costa Mesa, California	Public	orangecoastcollege.edu
College of San Mateo (CSM)	Associate's	11	N/A	San Mateo, California	Public	collegeofsanmateo.edu
Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State)	Associate's	11	N/A	Fergus Falls, Minnesota	Public	minnesota.edu
Gaston College	Associate's	11	N/A	Dallas, North Carolina	Public	gaston.edu
Chabot College (CC)	Associate's	10	N/A	Hayward, California	Public	chabotcollege.edu
Cuesta College	Associate's	10	N/A	San Luis Obispo, California	Public	cuesta.edu
Glendale Community College (GCC)	Associate's	10	N/A	Glendale, California	Public	glendale.edu
Massasoit Community College	Associate's	10	N/A	Brockton, Massachusetts	Public	massasoit.edu
Atlantic Cape Community College	Associate's	10	N/A	Mays Landing, New Jersey	Public	atlanticcape.edu
Cape Fear Community College (CFCC)	Associate's	10	N/A	Wilmington, North Carolina	Public	cfcc.edu
Forsyth Technical Community College (Forsyth Tech)	Associate's	10	N/A	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	Public	forsythtech.edu
Owens Community College (OCC)	Associate's	10	N/A	Perrysburg, Ohio	Public	owens.edu
Folsom Lake College (FLC)	Associate's	10	N/A	Folsom, California	Public	flc.losrios.edu
Chaffey College	Associate's	9	N/A	Rancho Cucamonga, California	Public	chaffey.edu
Citrus College	Associate's	9	N/A	Glendora, California	Public	citruscollege.edu
Monterey Peninsula College (MPC)	Associate's Other Award	9	N/A	Monterey, California	Public	mpc.edu
Oxnard College	Associate's	9	N/A	Oxnard, California	Public	oxnardcollege.edu
Pasadena City College (PCC)	Associate's	9	N/A	Pasadena, California	Public	pasadena.edu
Saddleback College	Associate's	9	N/A	Mission Viejo, California	Public	saddleback.edu
Durham Technical Community College (Durham Tech)	Associate's	9	N/A	Durham, North Carolina	Public	durhamtech.edu
Sandhills Community College (SCC)	Associate's	9	N/A	Pinehurst, North Carolina	Public	sandhills.edu
Mt Hood Community College (MHCC)	Associate's	9	N/A	Gresham, Oregon	Public	mhcc.edu
Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC)	Associate's	9	N/A	Phoenix, Arizona	Public	paradisevalley.edu
Contra Costa College (CCC)	Associate's Other Award	8	N/A	San Pablo, California	Public	contracosta.edu
Cosumnes River College (CRC)	Associate's	8	N/A	Sacramento, California	Public	crc.losrios.edu
Diablo Valley College (DVC)	Associate's	8	N/A	Pleasant Hill, California	Public	dvc.edu
East Los Angeles College (ELAC)	Other Award	8	N/A	Monterey Park, California	Public	elac.edu
Foothill College	Associate's	8	N/A	Los Altos Hills, California	Public	foothill.edu
College of the Sequoias (COS)	Associate's	8	N/A	Visalia, California	Public	cos.edu
College of the Albemarle (COA)	Associate's	8	N/A	Elizabeth City, North Carolina	Public	albemarle.edu
Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC)	Associate's	8	N/A	Flat Rock, North Carolina	Public	blueridge.edu
McDowell Technical Community College (MTCC)	Associate's	8	N/A	Marion, North Carolina	Public	mcdowelltech.edu
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC)	Associate's	8	N/A	Salisbury, North Carolina	Public	rccc.edu
Trident Technical College (TTC)	Certificate (1-2 yrs)	8	N/A	Charleston, South Carolina	Public	tridenttech.edu
Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC)	Associate's	7	N/A	Fayetteville, North Carolina	Public	faytechcc.edu
Central Technology Center	Certificate (1-2 yrs)	7	N/A	Drumright, Oklahoma	Public	centraltech.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Pre-Engineering programs

Which universities have the largest Pre-Engineering programs?

Currently 192 accredited institutions offer Pre-Engineering degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) (118 graduates), Santa Ana College (SAC) (110 graduates), and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) (98 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Pre-Engineering growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 402 in 2010 to 2,722 in 2023-24. This represents a 577% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

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