Systems Engineering: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Systems Engineering is a multidisciplinary field focused on designing, developing, and evaluating complex systems that meet real-world challenges across industries such as aerospace, defense, transportation, healthcare, and information technology. It emphasizes a holistic approach to problem-solving by integrating technical, human, and organizational components into cohesive, efficient, and sustainable solutions.
- Systems Thinking: A foundational mindset that views problems as interconnected parts of a larger whole, enabling engineers to anticipate interactions and long-term impacts across system components.
- Requirements Analysis: The process of identifying, documenting, and validating functional and non-functional needs to ensure systems meet user expectations and operational goals.
- Modeling and Simulation: The use of mathematical and computational tools to represent system behavior under various conditions, supporting design optimization and risk assessment.
- Systems Integration: The technical and managerial discipline of combining individual subsystems into a unified, interoperable system while maintaining performance and reliability.
- Life Cycle Management: The strategic oversight of a system from concept and design through deployment, maintenance, and eventual retirement to maximize efficiency and value.
- Risk and Reliability Engineering: Techniques for identifying potential failure points, assessing system vulnerabilities, and implementing measures to enhance safety and operational continuity.
- Human Factors and Ergonomics: The study of human-system interactions to design systems that are intuitive, safe, and effective from a user experience perspective.
- Decision Analysis and Optimization: Advanced analytical methods used to evaluate alternatives, allocate resources, and determine optimal system configurations under constraints.
Systems Engineering Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Systems Engineering Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Systems Engineering degrees, including Architectural and Engineering Managers, Database Architects and Engineers, All Other. 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. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 816,000 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers 11-9041 | $167,740 | $111,450 - $239,200 | 210,340 | $80.64 |
| Database Architects 15-1243 | $135,980 | $81,630 - $209,990 | 64,770 | $65.37 |
| Engineers, All Other 17-2199 | $117,750 | $62,840 - $183,510 | 150,750 | $56.61 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1032 | $106,120 | $59,790 - $200,650 | 39,910 | N/A |
| Industrial Engineers 17-2112 | $101,140 | $70,000 - $157,140 | 350,230 | $48.63 |
Systems Engineering Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $101,542 in Arkansas to $148,396 in California—a 46% difference. The highest-paying states include California, District of Columbia, and New Mexico. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 816,000 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Systems Engineering by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 98 institutions offering Systems 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 Systems Engineering is found at University of Florida (UF) (499 graduates), Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) (351 graduates), Stevens Institute of Technology (271 graduates), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) (242 graduates), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (204 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 3,956 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 | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Residency
|
499 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
351 | Monterey, California | Public | nps.edu |
| Stevens Institute of Technology |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
271 | Hoboken, New Jersey | Private | stevens.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
242 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
204 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | web.mit.edu |
| Cornell University |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
129 | Ithaca, New York | Private | cornell.edu |
| University of Virginia (UVA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
117 | Charlottesville, Virginia | Public | virginia.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Master's
|
109 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| George Washington University (GW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
96 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | gwu.edu |
| University of Pennsylvania (Penn) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
88 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | upenn.edu |
| Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
87 | Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio | Public | afit.edu |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
78 | Daytona Beach, Florida | Private | worldwide.erau.edu |
| Colorado School of Mines |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
77 | Golden, Colorado | Public | mines.edu |
| University of Denver (DU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
72 | Denver, Colorado | Private | du.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
72 | Richardson, Texas | Public | utdallas.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
70 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) |
Bachelor's
|
67 | USAF Academy, Colorado | Public | usafa.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
65 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| United States Military Academy (USMA) |
Bachelor's
|
62 | West Point, New York | Public | westpoint.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Master's
|
56 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
48 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Private | wpi.edu |
| Northeastern University (NU) |
Master's
|
47 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | northeastern.edu |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
46 | Rolla, Missouri | Public | mst.edu |
| George Mason University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
44 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
| Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
43 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
| Washington University in St Louis (WashU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
41 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | wustl.edu |
| Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) |
Master's
|
40 | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | gatech.edu |
| Colorado State University (CSU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Doctorate (Professional)
|
39 | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | colostate.edu |
| The University of Texas (UTEP) |
Master's
|
38 | El Paso, Texas | Public | utep.edu |
| United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) |
Bachelor's
|
36 | Kings Point, New York | Public | usmma.edu |
| Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) |
Master's
|
35 | Melbourne, Florida | Private | fit.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Master's
|
35 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | worldcampus.psu.edu |
| Wichita State University (WSU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
33 | Wichita, Kansas | Public | wichita.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
31 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Master's
|
31 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
29 | Troy, New York | Private | rpi.edu |
| Texas A & M International University (TAMIU) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Laredo, Texas | Public | tamiu.edu |
| Drexel University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
25 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | drexel.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
24 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Public | charlotte.edu |
| Boston University (BU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | bu.edu |
| Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
| University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) |
Postbac Cert.
|
19 | Detroit, Michigan | Private | udmercy.edu |
| University of Michigan |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
19 | Dearborn, Michigan | Public | umdearborn.edu |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Master's
|
17 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Postbac Cert.
|
17 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Master's
Other Award
|
16 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of Louisiana (UL Lafayette) |
Doctorate (Research)
|
14 | Lafayette, Louisiana | Public | louisiana.edu |
| University of Dayton (UD) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
14 | Dayton, Ohio | Private | udayton.edu |
| ECPI University (ECPI) |
Master's
|
14 | Virginia Beach, Virginia | Private | ecpi.edu |
| California State University (CSUDH) |
Master's
|
13 | Carson, California | Public | csudh.edu |
| Loyola Marymount University (LMU) |
Master's
|
12 | Los Angeles, California | Private | lmu.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMBC) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
11 | Baltimore, Maryland | Public | umbc.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
9 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| California State Polytechnic University (CPP) |
Master's
|
9 | Pomona, California | Public | cpp.edu |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) |
Master's
|
9 | Daytona Beach, Florida | Private | daytonabeach.erau.edu |
| Iowa State University (ISU) |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
9 | Ames, Iowa | Public | iastate.edu |
| Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
9 | Cleveland, Ohio | Private | case.edu |
| Portland State University (PSU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
9 | Portland, Oregon | Public | pdx.edu |
| Marquette University |
Postbac Cert.
|
9 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Private | marquette.edu |
| University of South Alabama (USA) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
8 | Mobile, Alabama | Public | southalabama.edu |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Master's
|
8 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) |
Master's
|
8 | Newark, New Jersey | Public | njit.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Master's
|
8 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Weber State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
|
8 | Ogden, Utah | Public | weber.edu |
| Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) |
Bachelor's
|
7 | Castine, Maine | Public | mainemaritime.edu |
| University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
Postbac Cert.
|
7 | Adelphi, Maryland | Public | umgc.edu |
| University of St Thomas |
Master's
|
7 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Private | stthomas.edu |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
6 | Pasadena, California | Private | caltech.edu |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) |
Bachelor's
|
6 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Public | uccs.edu |
| Florida International University (FIU) |
Master's
|
6 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
| Oakland University (OU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
6 | Rochester Hills, Michigan | Public | oakland.edu |
| Duke University |
Master's
|
6 | Durham, North Carolina | Private | duke.edu |
| Bowling Green State University (BGSU) |
Master's
|
6 | Bowling Green, Ohio | Public | bgsu.edu |
| Otterbein University |
Bachelor's
|
6 | Westerville, Ohio | Private | otterbein.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Master's
|
6 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
| New Mexico State University (NMSU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
4 | Las Cruces, New Mexico | Public | nmsu.edu |
| College of Charleston (CofC) |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Charleston, South Carolina | Public | cofc.edu |
| University of Connecticut (UConn) |
Postbac Cert.
|
3 | Storrs, Connecticut | Public | uconn.edu |
| Lawrence Technological University (LTU) |
Master's
|
3 | Southfield, Michigan | Private | ltu.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Post-Master's
|
3 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Master's
|
3 | Malvern, Pennsylvania | Public | greatvalley.psu.edu |
| Old Dominion University (ODU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
3 | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | odu.edu |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Denver, Colorado | Public | msudenver.edu |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) |
Master's
|
2 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | famu.edu |
| Indiana University (IU Indianapolis) |
Postbac Cert.
|
2 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Public | indianapolis.iu.edu |
| Morehead State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Morehead, Kentucky | Public | moreheadstate.edu |
| Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Cape Girardeau, Missouri | Public | semo.edu |
| University of Houston (UHCL) |
Master's
|
2 | Houston, Texas | Public | uhcl.edu |
| Idaho State University (ISU) |
Master's
|
1 | Pocatello, Idaho | Public | isu.edu |
| DePaul University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | depaul.edu |
| Capitol Technology University |
Master's
|
1 | Laurel, Maryland | Private | captechu.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Master's
|
1 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| University of North Dakota (UND) |
Master's
|
1 | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Public | und.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Other Award
|
1 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina |
Postbac Cert.
|
1 | Charleston, South Carolina | Public | citadel.edu |
| St. Mary's University |
Master's
|
1 | San Antonio, Texas | Private | stmarytx.edu |
| Texas A & M University |
Master's
|
1 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Systems Engineering programs
How much can I earn with a Systems Engineering degree?
Salaries for Systems Engineering graduates vary by role and location. Architectural and Engineering Managers earn a median of $167,740 annually, while Database Architects earn around $135,980. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $148,396 compared to $101,542 in Arkansas. Approximately 816,000 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Systems Engineering programs?
Currently 98 accredited institutions offer Systems Engineering degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Florida (UF) (499 graduates), Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) (351 graduates), and Stevens Institute of Technology (271 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 Systems Engineering growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 2,719 in 2010 to 3,956 in 2023-24. This represents a 45% 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.
What career paths are available with a Systems Engineering degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Architectural and Engineering Managers, Database Architects, and Engineers, All Other. Related occupations employ approximately 816,000 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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